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Spring 2017 Issue 1Grand View Christian School

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At Workathon, students have fun s e rv ing others.

Lady Thunder falls one game s h o r t a f t e r incredible 20-5 run.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers a hit.

The Thunder boys basketball team made h i s to ry bringing home the first Class 1A State Cham-pionship title on March 11, 2017. The 2015-2016 season ended in the first round of state, so this year the boys wanted to go further. With their eyes on the

First Grand View State ChampionshipKarley Ramus

Sports Writerprize, they worked hard and claimed the title of State Champions. The team was coached by Mr. Dave Stubbs and assistant coaches Mr. Clay Tarbell, Mr. Brandon Stubbs, and Mr. Shawn Ikenberry. The team captains were junior Grant Demeulenaere and seniors Steven Glenn and Nathan Long. The Grand View team finished the season at 24-1, averaging 89.9 points a game. Within the first 15 games, they scored 108 3-pointers, winning recognition as the top offensive 1A team in the state.Grant Demeulenaere, the team’s start-ing point guard, shared how his team and coaches impacted him this season.

“They helped motivate me to do my best. The coaches and teammates were always encouraging and uplifting each other on and off the court."Grant was selected Class 1A First Team All-State and the Class 1A Pizza Ranch MVP award. He also made the Des Moines Regis-ter All Iowa Team and the 1A Tourna-ment Team. Senior Steven Glenn was also selected Class 1A First Team All-State along with reaching the 1,000

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Thrills AudiencesFeature Writer

Katie Soy

Left, right, right, hop, and spin! This year, Grand View Christian’s high school play took a successful bow yet again with a wonderful rendition of the musical, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. The play provides a great opportunity for students to try something new and gain experience as an actor for a few nights. The play was conducted by veteran director Mrs. Sue Fisher and assisted by Mrs. Nita Fincham, Mr. Jonathan Nilius, and Miss Grace Peterson. Voted "Best Actors" of the production, Avery Bush, a junior who played Adam Pon-tipee, and Lily Jansen, a senior who

played Milly Pontipee, did a wonderful job with strong vocal and dramatic performances. The play ran for three days, April 27, 28, and 29 at First Federated Church in Des Moines.Sierra Tarbell, a senior, agrees that participat-ing in the spring play is a great opportunity, “I would urge new people to try out for the play next year because it takes a different

type of commitment then sports and other things, and you’re able to be-come friends with a different group of

people. It’s a challenge to become a different person for your character then who you already are.” Marti Steinblums, a fresh-man who played Caleb, one of the seven brothers, thought “the feel-ing of being a part of something big and also fighting with the broth-ers in one of the scenes” was his favorite part of

points goal for his high school career. Coach Dave Stubbs also won the Iowa Class 1A Coach of the Year award. This was an exciting year for Thunder boys basketball. Winning state is a big

accomplishment for the team, but that is not what the Thunder will remember most. Senior Augustine Saliu shared that what he will re-member most is that “my basket-ball team was a good Christian testimony.”

Senior August ine Saliu celebrates at the final buzzer of the championship game.

Junior Grant Demeulenaere and senior Steven Glenn receive All Tournament honors.

Seniors Cara Arrasmith and Lillie Janssen and junior Lydia Van Nausdle dream about love.

participating in the production. The play may be a big commitment, hav-ing practice every day after school and even sometimes on Saturdays, but in the end it is worth it to experi-ence something new and create fun and amazing memories with fellow students.

The brothers and suitors provided entertaining singing and dancing, as well as a few fun-filled brawls.

The Thunder Times

Features2Spring 2017

Feature Writer Katie Soy

Chapel Provides Opportunity for Worship Together

Grand View Christian School is a Christ centered school where setting aside time to worship God and dig into His Word together as a student body is important. Having a different speaker each time is what makes Grand View chapel stand out from other Bible classes and biblically integrated courses. Chapel affects each person in a different way, but for most students it is a time where they can focus on God’s Word.Chapel is where both students and faculty can come together as a school and worship God in song and learn more about His Word. Chapel happens every Tuesday and Thursday in the multi-purpose room.Every other week the Grand View

Breakaway is an event held by Grand View Christian School during the first two days of the school year. It is a time for the whole high school to come together and bond through spiritual lessons and team building games. Breakaway is also what makes Grand View Christian unique from other schools.In 2016, some international students spent more than ten hours on a flight to the United States to attend Grand View Christian. Due to the cultural and language differences, some students may not enjoy school as much, so Breakaway makes it easier for them to ease back into school. Breakaway helps them get used to spending time with others and make a few friends before school starts. For the students it is a good spiritual trip to learn more about God and His holy Son Jesus.In the morning the students arrived

at the school to ride the bus to Iowa Regular Baptist Camp in Clear Lake, Iowa. Then, after a few hours of laugh-ing and talking during the bus ride, they arrived at the camp area. “The students divided up into classes and competed in competi-tions.” said Nathan Long, a senior. Some students went down the zip line for their class activity. “When I first tried the zip line, I was scared because it was so high, and I was worried about if I went down, I might have died. But after I did it and found out it was safe, I en-joyed it. It was exciting and fun,” said Adam Zhao, a freshman who had just arrived from China. Yes, most stu-dents enjoyed every

Andy FuFeature Writer

students split off into small groups, led by seniors and teachers, and spiritually bond with other students in different grades.Mr. Rob Seyler, the high school Bible teacher, is the chapel coordinator, bringing in speakers from all across the Des Moines area. Mr. Jonathan Nilius, the choir teacher, is in charge of everything that involves the wor-ship team. Freshman Natalee Lane shared that, “Worship helps prepare the students for the lesson in chapel and helps them get in the mood and in focus.” When asked what he thought about chapel, Samuel Wilson, the student body chaplain, said, “Chapel is a great time for the student body to come together, with the main purpose of learning about His Word and worship Him with song.”

Breakaway: Ice Breaker for New Studentsmoment and had a great time. “In the afternoon, after the sky dark-ened, it began to rain. The rain fell, but our spirits were still high,” said Mrs. Becky Safford, the English teacher.

The students went to the church and had chapel. “This is my favorite part; we got together and worshiped God,” said K.J. Van Auken, a freshman. During chapel, people shared their thoughts and feelings.“Our God is good, all the time,” some-one said during chapel. It may have been cold outside, but the chapel was warm. They finished chapel around nine o’clock and went to the gym to enjoy the rest of the fun filled night.Everyone then, when it was time, went back to their cabins and slept. “For me, I like late night talks with my roommates the most,” said Mason Cole, a junior. The next morning, after breakfast, the students returned to school. Mr. Rob Seyler, the organizer of Breakaway and the high school Bible teacher said, “The purpose of Breakaway is to help new students get to know each other better and have fun. It seems we achieved it.”

Nate Stupka, junior class chaplain, challenges the high school students during high school chapel.

Mr. Seyler believes chapel is important because, “It’s an opportunity to wor-ship with a bigger group of people and it helps us create a spiritual commu-

nity.” Grand View chapel welcomes anyone who wants to come in and experience our chapel and worship with us.

Rain didn't stop the students from having fun as they joined Mr. Kramer in a game of 9-Square in the gym.

Spring 2017

The Thunder Times

3Features

Katie SoyFeature Writer

Hopesong Headed to Carnegie Hall

NHS Is All About ServiceNataly Benitz

Feature Writer

The National Honor Society (NHS) provides a great leadership opportu-nity at Grand View Christian School. Students are selected for membership according to their academic achieve-ments, character, and involvement in extracurricular activities. Each of the sixteen new members were inducted into the Thunder Guard on February 2, 2017 for a total of 36 mem-bers, the largest in school history. The president of NHS at Grand View is senior Lillie Janssen, the vice president is junior Cheyenne Wright, and the secretary is senior Megan Stubbs. Cheyenne said that NHS is a good thing for students to participate in because “we learn to get more in-

volved, lead people, and make a good impact in people’s lives.” NHS gives students many oppor-tunities to get involved and serve in school. Senior Hannah Ross, the NHS Historian, shared some of the work she has done as a member of NHS. “I have served cookies at parent teacher conferences, sold concessions at the school’s open house, helped run activities during track and field day, and I’m a teacher’s assistant for Mr. John Safford, the high school science teacher. NHS gives us an opportunity to step up and be leaders in the school by serving in the background.” The members in NHS also had the unique opportunity to help out during the Special Olympics this year on April 18 in Indianola, Iowa.

NHS is a great way for high school students to gain experi-ence in leadership and helping others. Being a member of NHS also gives students an advantage when applying to colleges and jobs because of its national reputa-tion for excellence. Anyone who qualifies for NHS should take the rewarding opportunity to make an impact in their school. NHS is for “students who are dedicated to working hard academically for their collegiate future,” shared senior Abby Booth.

Whether it is singing in nursing homes or singing to a big crowd for a concert, Hopesong has been going strong for three years. “Hopesong is a great ministry to those around the school for students to show the love of Jesus to others,” said Harrison Caples, a junior. Hopesong is directed by Mr. Jonathan Nilius, the choir teacher. One of the requirements to audition for Hopesong is to be a participant in the high school choir. “The students in Hopesong want to be there and sing their hearts out about God’s glory and His love for everyone,” shared Rylan Poole, a sophomore. One of the things they do for their minis-try is sing in local churches. They also went to Omaha, Nebraska, where they worked at a homeless shelter and sang at a Christian high school. One of the accomplishments achieved this year was at the conference singing

competition in Colfax, Iowa, where they won "Best In Center."This June nine members of Hopesong will be going on a four day trip to New York City to sing at Carnegie Hall. To help finance the trip, all the money that was raised for singing Valentines in February went towards financial aid for the Hopesong members attending the trip. When asked what he thought about the trip to New York, Rylan said, “It’s an opportunity of a lifetime! We get to go and sing in Carnegie Hall with

a group choir. I just can’t wait to go; it’ll be fun!” Hopesong is a great ministry for those who love to sing and spread the love of Jesus to others.

NHS seniors Ashlan Thompson, Megan Stubbs, Abby Booth, Mack Fry, and Hannah Ross volunteer at Special Olympics.

Hopesong members performing at the Annual Christmas Concert at Faith Baptist Bible College.

Middle School Has a BlastAbby Booth

Editor in Chief

In the spring of every school year, Grand View Christian School’s Student Leadership Team (SLT) hosts the middle school Blast. Blast is a day full of fun and games for the middle school students, and a day for them to learn about God. This year, Blast occurred on May 12 and took place at the Norwoodville Community Center.

The middle school students and SLT members played Capture the Flag, participated in what the SLT president called “military training or an obstacle course,” and also learned about God through two sessions of Bible teaching. SLT divided the middle schoolers into groups with members of SLT as the leaders. “I liked the session time with Mack,” said 7th grader Mia Byers happily. When asked about her opportunity

in leading the event, senior Cara Arrasmith said, “I really loved connecting with them because even though we are only two hallways away, I did not really know many of them. But now I feel much closer to those wonderful kids!” Ellise Feldman, an 8th grader also said, “I liked how it felt like we all were a family!” With the middle schoolers enjoying feeling as if they are a family, they are looking forward to high school more than ever.

Student Leadership Team president, senior Cara Arrasmith, joins in on the fun at BLAST.

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Nataly BenitzFeature Writer

When the leaves start to fall and the weather begins to change, Grand View Christian School knows it is time for Work-a-thon! Work-a-thon is an annual fundraiser that has taken place every fall since 1981. The middle school and high school students and teachers take a day off of school to go out and help people in the community by going to elderly peo-ple’s homes and help-ing them with their yard work, cleaning gutters, and washing windows. The GVCS elemen-tary also has their own annual fundraiser called Walk-a-thon. They collect pledges along with the middle school and high school to help raise funds for student scholarships. On October 17, 2016, the preschool through second grade students went to Norwoodville Community Center for a community park walk. The students had a great time spending the school day walking with their family, friends, and teachers. Mrs. DeeDee Burt, Mrs. Vieka Hud-son, Mr. Geoff Lane, and Mr. Chris Murphy are the team in charge of putting together the Work-a-thon

fundraiser, a huge task. When asked what effect Work-a-thon has on the school, Mrs. Hudson said, “It is a positive thing for our school. It helps kids who want to be here come,” by providing funds for scholarships.This year Grand View students raised more than $132,000 to make school tuition more affordable, a Work-a-thon record. Work-a-thon also has a positive impact on Grand View students. Junior Em-

ily Hurley said her favorite part of Work-a-thon is “the finished product. I like the way the houses look after all our hard work.” Freshman Mead-ow Seidenkranz said Work-a-thon is meaningful be-cause “we get to

show Christ through helping others.” Junior Emma Seyler said she appreci-ates Work-a-thon because “it gives people a good representation of what our school stands for and it has helped some of my personal friends too.” Work-a-thon is a unique way for GVCS to get out and help people in the community and raise money for school tuition. For additional ques-tions or information on participating in Work-a-thon, contact the Grand View office at (515) 777-3977.

Students Use Spanish in Ministry

Whether target practice for a bird or painting houses, the 2016 Grand View Christian Spanish trip was a great suc-cess. This year’s group took off for Puerto Rico on August 6, led by Mrs. Donna Budd, the high school Spanish teacher. Mrs. Budd coordinates the trip for high school Spanish students, traveling to Puerto Rico three times and the Florida keys once over the last five years.The 2016 Spanish trip included parent chaperones Mrs. Tammy Hall and Dr. Dan Wright and 20 students. The trip was an educational missions trip, and to be eligible to go, students are required to complete two years of Spanish in order to successfully interact with the children at the orphanage. The participants also painted and did other maintenance work at the orphanage. Senior Ashlan Thompson said, “the thing I learned on this trip was how the kids lived and what it was like for them.” Ashlan explained that she wanted to go on the trip to put her Spanish to practice, and she also enjoyed the opportunity to interact with the kids. Sophomore Jessica Hall

said that her favorite part of the trip was playing with the kids at the orphanage for the first time.Not only did the group get to serve others, but they also had the op-portunity to go on adventures across Puerto Rico. They were able to zipline, canoe, sightsee, and visit El Morro, a citadel located in San Juan. In the fall of 2016, the group presented a slideshow to the high school students about their trip. Sophomore Karley Ramus said, “I can’t wait until I can go! I love serving others.” The Spanish trip takes place every other year, and students are already preparing for a wild, fun filled trip. Students will get the chance to travel and witness God’s amazing creation while enjoying the opportunity to serve others.

Katie Soy

Work-a-thon Sets Record

Students rake leaves for an elderly gentleman and raise scholarship money for fellow students.

Students from the Grand View Spanish classes explore Puerto Rico and work at an orphanage while speaking the language they have

Pocket Change Changes Lives

The Grand View Christian School's junior class, led by president Lauryn Wells, had a great opportunity to serve in their community by helping raise money for the Alpha Women’s Center.

Mason ColeFeature Writer

The Alpha Women’s Center is a place where women can go to seek help for unexpected pregnancies and get baby clothes and other materials if they need them. It is also a place where women in need can go to find godly counsel and get involved in a Bible study. The juniors were split up into boys and girls teams and each team had a jar. They challenged each other to see who

could bring in the most spare coins in one week. At the end of the week, the girls team had raised $30.87, and the boys team raised $42.42 for a total of $73.20. The deal was that the losers would bring treats in for the winners, so the girls baked some treats for the final class Chaplain Chat in May.The money was given to the Alpha Women's Center director, Mrs. Jeanie

Thomas. She was thrilled "that the students would think of them," and stopped by to personally thank the students. All it took was extra pocket change to make a difference, and instead of losing it or keeping it for them-selves, the juniors gave back to the community. They saw a need and they met it.

Spring 2017

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Nataly BenitezFeature Writer

Serving at Meals From the Heartland

The mission field is a wonderful place where believers have opportunities to glorify God and serve others. Many Grand View students spend their summer vacations going on mission trips in order to experience life on the mission field and consider the possibility of becoming a missionary after graduation. Sophomores Jaden Elder and Abbey Boggess traveled to South Dakota, representing Grace Church and the Grace Student Ministry. The group headed to Fort Thompson, South Dakota to minister to kids living on a Native American reservation camp. They showed the kids God’s love and

Grand View Students Serving Around the WorldKarley Ramus

Feature Writer

told them about who Jesus is through games, crafts, and Bible teaching. The group left for South Dakota on July 10, and headed home July 17. Jaden shared, “I went on the trip because I felt as if God was calling me to get out of my comfort zone and minister to others.” Senior Hannah Ross traveled to Denver, Colorado, with the New Life Student Ministry of New Life Church. The team left for Colorado on July 9 and headed home July 16. The group that Hannah traveled with served at several places including a food bank and an orchard that feeds the homeless. The students also led a Vacation Bible School every day for children in the nearby neighbor-hoods. Hannah went on this trip because “I enjoy helping people,

and this was a good trip for me to expand my leadership skills.”Junior Harrison Caples traveled to Nicaragua with Capitol City Church, representing the Capitol City Student Ministry. Harrison and his team left in September 2016. This was Harrison's second trip to Nicaragua, a place where he continues to have a deeper burden to serve full-time some day. They served the people in the neighborhood around them by helping reconstruct a church. When asked how he prepared for the trip, Harrison shared, “I had to learn more Spanish because that’s the main language they spoke.” Junior Brianna Budd traveled to Lima, Peru with senior Cameron Tarbell. They left for Peru on May 25 and headed home July 4. Brianna and Cameron stayed with the Frerichs,

parents of alumnus Jessica Frerichs. Brianna wanted to take this trip to see if she "liked the missionary lifestyle.” Brianna shared, “Spending time at the Oasis with the little kids and playing soccer with the little boys” was the most impactful memory from her trip. When asked about preparing for the trip, Brianna shared that she spent time in “lots and lots of prayer, and a lot of additional spanish help, thanks to my mom!” Going on mission trips pushes students out of their comfort zones and into an opportunity to experience something new while helping others who are on the field full-time and desire to see others come to Christ. Abbey shared, “Our goal is always the same: giving glory to God through the simplest of actions.”

Meals from the Heartland is an organization whose mission is to package meals of rice, soy, vegetables, and vitamins for people in need in Iowa and all around the world.On the second Friday of the school year, the Grand View middle school took a field trip down to Hy-Vee Hall to help out with packaging foods. Middle school teachers Mr. Al Fincham and Mr. Geoff Lane organized this trip so that the middle school students could have an opportunity to go out and serve others. Mr. Lane said that, “It causes the students to see what they can accomplish when they work together and helps them appreciate the food they get to eat.” Participating in Meals from the Heartland showed the students the

importance of helping others and gave them an appreciation for all of their blessings. “It’s important because we’re feeding people who can’t afford to buy food,” said sixth grader Nick Jurgens. The students and teachers worked hard, but they also had fun together while packaging the meals. “I really liked the competition between tables and how Mr. Nilus [the school’s music teacher] tried to beat the other tables,” shared eighth grade student Austin Tarbell. Angelique Anderson, another eighth grade student, also shared what she enjoyed about Meals from the Heartland. “I liked hanging out with friends and being able to help the community.” Meals from the Heartland was a good opportunity for the middle school students to help those in need while learning to appreciate what they have.

Whether he is the Governor of Iowa or the Ambassador to China for the United States, Governor Brandstad is very busy, but he took the time to meet with all the Chinese students attending Grand View Christian School. Freshmen Candy Sun and Adam Zhao, sophomores Sam Piao and Jerry Wang, j u n i o r A n d y Fu, and seniors Jennifer Zhang and Tiffany Zhu, had the opportunity to visit with Governor Brandstad before he left for his new position in China. The Governor gave a tour of his office to the students and chaperones

Mr. and Mrs. Dick McWilliams and had wonderful conversations with them throughout the morning. When asked what the students did on their trip, Andy Fu replied, “We got to see pictures in his office and had some interesting conversations, and we also got to take a lot of pictures all together as a group.” “My favorite part about the trip was I got to know the relationship between Governor Brandstad and the president of

China and the history between them and know that it is a good relationship, and that made me feel happy,” said Jennifer. The Chinese students g r e a t l y e n j o y e d meeting Governor Brandstad and were happy that he accepted t h e p o s i t i o n o f Ambassador to China for the United States.

Governor Welcomes GVCS Chinese Students

Katie SoyFeature Writer

Sophomore Sam Piao presents Governor Brandstad with Thunder gear.

The Wizard of Oz, Thunder Style

Karley RamusFeature Writer

Grand View homecoming is unlike any other homecoming in the metro area. Grand View students participate in homecoming week activities such as dress up days, powderpuff football, homecoming court, and a football game on Friday night. All these festivities lead up to the party at the end of the week, hosted by the Student Leader-ship Team. Homecoming began Monday, October 3, with the homecoming theme The Wizard of Oz, and the party took place on Saturday, October 8, 2016 at Grand View Christian School. Senior and student body president Cara Arrasmith was in charge of seeing through the ideas and other details of the event. Cara was asked who came up with the theme of The Wizard of Oz. “Senior Mack Fry came up with the idea of The Wizard of Oz, and other members of the Student Leadership Team (SLT) added details to make it perfect for our students,” she replied. She also shared why they chose the theme, “It was something we had never done before, and it gave us a lot of room to make it fun for everyone who attended.” When asked what her

favorite part of homecoming was, Cara replied smiling, “Coming up with the homecoming days. It’s fascinating set-ting a certain criteria for everyone and seeing how people’s creativity allows them to make something completely unique.”

The week was a success, according to Arrasmith, “Amazing! It was the biggest turnout we’ve had in a couple years. Everything went smoothly on the Student Leadership Team’s end, and we’ve heard all positive reviews from the students who attended.” Homecoming is one of the biggest events of the year at Grand View. Homecoming is unique because SLT finds a way to make it enjoyable for the students attending. This year’s homecoming was a success and is definitely one for the books.

Spring 2017

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Features6

Each spring when senior’s minds are distracted by graduation events and college selections, the junior class is busily putting together a banquet while parents coordinate an after-party, all in honor of the senior

class, an event called Junior-Senior. This year, Junior-Senior took place on April 21, 2017 at Baqara, a rustic event venue in Runnells, Iowa. “Capture the Moment,” set the theme for the entire evening. Lauryn Wells, the junior class president, thought "Capture the Moment would be a good idea because you don’t get to capture moments like this in high school ever again, and the junior class wanted to make it memorable for the seniors.”

Invitations were made and menus were selected as the junior class prepared for the big evening.Senior Mack Fry attended because she, “wanted to show appreciation to the junior class for working so hard in putting together the event.” Her favorite part was the prophecies that the juniors came up with for the seniors and the magician at the after-party. Senior Elena Stock also shared, “It’s my senior year, and I wanted to have fun with my school one last time.” Her favorite part was the after-party. stating,“It was so much fun.” The after-party consisted of rock climbing and a magician who performed at Climb Iowa. Lauryn shared that, “Junior-Senior turned out really well and was a great send off for the senior class.” Senior Abby Booth attended with good friend, senior Antonio Santa Maria and “will remember her ‘Captured Moments’ for the rest of her life.”

Seniors Capture the Moment Karley Ramus

Feature Writer

Seniors AJ Gill, Sami Mealey, Abby Booth, Antonio Santa Maria, Cara Arrasmith, and Nathan Long enjoyed an evening in their honor.

On Friday night, March 3, Grand View high school students got red carpet ready and headed to the Grandys at Radiant Church in Pleasant Hill. The Grandys is an awards event that is held every year and is coordinated by the Student Leadership Team (SLT). This year the event was hosted

Natalie BenitezFeature Writer

Memorable Awards and Lots of Laughsby senior Nathan Long and junior Stephen Bruce. The Grandys is an occasion for Grand View students to laugh and have a good time recognizing the great memories shared in the high school by giving out awards to deserving students. For example, the "Silent Savage" award was awarded to senior Hannah Ross and the "Best Bottle Flipping Effort"

award went to the freshmen boys, just to name a few of the many memorable awards given that night. Megan Stubbs, the senior class SLT representative, said, “I think it went really well. The hosts did a good job and the speeches were really funny.” Overall SLT did an amazing job putting together an event to remember.

Senior Tiffany Zhu laughs about a prediction of her future and a certain young man......

Freshmen KJ VanAuken and Marti Steinblums show off their infamous pants.

Seniors Lillie Janssen and Nathan Long are crowned homecoming Queen and King.

Spring 2017

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7Features

On March 20 and 21, Grand View Christian School hosted its first ever book fair. Mrs. Twila Mosher and Mrs. Carrie Jordan headed up the fundraiser to purchase new books for the classrooms and library. “We raised just over one thousand dollars to be put towards the school’s needs,” Mrs. Jordan reported. The fair went on for two days and was held in the university room. All sorts of books and games were brought in for the fair. “We had lots of parent volunteers that oversaw and ran it for us,” Mrs. Jordan said appreciatively. “We feel very blessed with all the new literature the teachers received for their classes,” Mrs. Mosher responded when asked for a comment. Mrs. Mosher and Mrs. Jordan may have closed the book on this year, but they already have two fairs planned for next year!

Hannah RossFeature Editor

First Annual Book Fair

Lego Club Gains FansAndy Fu

Feature WriterIn Grand View Christian’s middle school, a new and exciting opportunity began called Lego Club. The Lego Club was started and run by eighth grade student Ethan Gonzalez and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Gonzalez. The club met together in the university room twice a month.The size of the group varied each time, but each meeting, the number of particpants grew. Ethan shared that, "The number of students in the last meeting was 18."The club members tr ied different building techniques and groups each meeting. At times they would find i n t e r e s t i n g f o r m a t i o n s individually, and then combine them together for a large project. Another week the group would build one project together, with different people building different parts.The Lego Club continued to gain popularity throughout the school year, providing an opportunity for students to learn to work together by building with blocks together and creating masterpieces.

At the end of 2016, snow covered the ground, Christmas songs were played by radio stations, and Christmas was coming. Christmas, the holiday to celebrate Jesus’ birth, is a joyful time for Grand View Christian School. This year, the school’s Student Leadership Team decided to host a Christmas party, and they called it A Charlie Brown Christmas.On the evening of December 18,

students brought their white elephant gifts to the school. In the lunch room, the smell of hot chocolate was sweet and the gym was loud with cheering as the first game of dodgeball began. The students divided into groups by class to compete, and the games lasted about an hour and a half. After the games, the students traded their gifts within the classes. As soon as everybody was seated in a circle on the ground, the presents were placed in the middle. The students began to choose the presents and,

after everyone got a present, they traded with others. After everyone had traded, they opened the presents one by one. Soon, they had their unwrapped gifts in their hands and everyone had a good time laughing at the strange gifts.The students spent the rest of the night watching the classic movie A Charlie Brown Christmas. Junior Mason Cole thought “all the food and all the yummy cookies” were the best part of the evening and he “can’t wait until next year!”

A Charlie Brown Christmas CelebrationAndy Fu

Feature Writer

Open House Provides a Grand View

Nataly Benitez Feature Writer

The Grand View elementary through 8th grade students held an Open House, also known as Family Fun Night, on April 6, 2017. It was a great opportunity to display what the students have been learning in their classrooms for family and friends. Mrs. Sarah Kruse helped coordinate the event. “We had a bounce house, a Box Tops kick off, and played various carnival games. The middle school also had a planetarium and displayed

the books they created.” There was also a bake sale, a silent auction, and lots of food for sale including Chick-fil-A. With all these activities going on, everyone had an enjoyable time at Grand View’s Family Fun Night.The high school also had an Open House on April 13, 2017. There were a lot of activities going on like a piñata auction, football video, botany plants for sale, high school spotlight room, an American History presentation, math games, high school art projects, a Shakespeare Revival, an egg drop, Rube Goldberg machine, jazz band, and a special

performance of “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.” Treats for sale included delicious ice cream, root beer floats, and Thunder popcorn. Mrs. Becky Safford, who helped coordinate the Open House said, “It’s a great opportunity to showcase artwork, music, and academic projects created by our talented students.” Open House is a great way to have a good time while displaying the students’ hard work in their classes and activities throughout the year.

Kara Eddy shows her mom Mrs. Karen Eddy, Grand View's third grade teacher, what she is working on in kindergarten.

Middle school students met together for the Lego Club.

Sports

Focus on Christ is Key to Volleyball

Bump, Set, Spike! The Grandview Thunder volleyball team finished their thrilling season undefeated in their conference. During their time together, the team “bonded through team prayers,” shared sophomore Abbey Boggess. Freshman Jordan Eisenman said, “My favorite memories were just hanging out with the other girls,” and freshman Sierra Wright said, “I liked getting close to the girls and having them include me.” The team was led by seniors Cara Arrasmith, Abby Booth, Mack Fry, Sami Mealey, Sierra Tarbell, and Ash-lan Thompson. “Cara and Sierra were the main emotional leaders of the team,

Noah ParleeSports Writer

encouraging our team and leading us closer to Christ,” agreed sophomores Abbey Boggess and Katie Soy. The reasons for the team’s great success were, “playing together like a family, having many bonding exercises, and good coaching that encouraged us,” shared Sierra. The team’s bonding paid off on the court as the Thunder finished with a 33-13 record, com-

Hut! Hut! Hike! Whether it is eight man or eleven man, the sounds of the game are the same. The Thunder pushed through a tough season and endured the challenge of switching from eight to eleven man, learning while growing together as a team. The 2016 team was led by seniors Josh Davidson, Joel Graham, Gabe Hausler, Parker Owens, and Colin Szymanski. “There was a lot of improvement from this team even though many players were inexperienced,” said head coach John Safford. Coach Safford also stated that this was a very young team and they hope to go further next year.“Our coach never stopped believing in us that we would win a game,” said sophomore Brevan Taylor. Brevan liked the change from eight to eleven man because he liked having more players and activity on the field, and more plays to learn. “Transitioning over to eleven man was difficult, but the coaches did a good job simplifying the process,” said freshman Noah Parlee. Noah chose

to play football because he likes to be on the defensive line. “I chose to play football so my friends could cheer for me,” joked sophomore Severin Young about his first year playing football. Severin was a kicker this past football season and plans to return next year. “The coaches taught me that I really need to rely on my teammates and everybody has a job that needs to be done or the team does not work,” said junior Mason Cole. Several players were honored for their accomplishments this season. The 1st Team All District award went to junior Peyton Leever and 2nd Team went to junior Clay Ramseyer. The Thunder also voted for Peyton for MVP Of-fense and MVP Special Teams awards. Clay received the MVP Defense and the Hardest Hitter award. Senior Colin Szymanski received the MVP Lineman award. Along with the team awards, the coaches choose a recipient for the Coaches Award to the athlete who best demonstrates the true spirit of Thunder Athletics. This year the Coaches Award went to senior Parker Owens. The Thunder football team fought a

Thunder Moves to 11-Man GameSports Writer

Karley Ramuslong, hard battle this season. Even with a losing record of 0-9, they made the most of their season. After every game, one of the team captains would ask the opposing team if they would like to pray with them. Often times the opposing teams would agree and the players would go out to the center of the field and pray together. With every play in every game, the team and their coaches constantly gave glory to God on and off the field.

peting against much larger schools in their tournaments, yet capturing several victories.The team also had some stand out players. Ashlan Thompson and Cara Arrasmith made 1st and 2nd team all state respectively, and junior Chey-enne Wright was an honorable men-tion. Though the season stopped short of a state run, Sierra, who played for

many years for the Thunder, said, “It was probably the best team I [have] ever played on.” Overall, the Thunder capped off another terrific year of volleyball. With a solid group of returning players, the Grand View Thunder volleyball program looks for-ward to another great season in 2017.

Junior Peyton Leever runs through the Thunder tunnel before the Homecoming game.

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Seniors Ashlan Thompson, Sierra Tarbell, Sami Mealey, Abby Booth, Cara Arrasmith, and Mack Fry with Coach Janessa Murphy.

Off Season Preparation Is Key to a Program's Success

Mason ColeSports Writer

If a student wants to be a successful a th le te , tha t person must be committed to intense training both during the season and in the off season. Off season training consists of weightlifting, proper dieting, and preparing your mind for the hard work ahead. Football player and freshman Noah Parlee is an excellent example of an athlete who believes it is important to train hard in the off season and takes his personal preparation very seriously. Noah said, “I participated in track with Coach Safford to get faster for my position on the football field. I also spent countless hours in the gym getting stronger. I watched what kind of foods I was putting into my body and made sure that the foods I did put into my body were going to promote muscle growth.”Once the season comes around, all of the hard work pays off and the athlete starts to excel in a sport, but the athlete needs to understand that he was given the ability to play this sport from God, so he should always make sure to give the glory to God.The same training and preparation is needed in a spiritual walk. During the school year a student at Grand View experiences Bible classes, chapel, chaplain chat, small group Bible studies, and a biblical worldview in all his classes. Grand View students are building spiritual muscle that needs to be maintained throughout the summer. It is important that students be in their Bibles and in constant prayer throughout the summer to maintain spiritual muscle and their relationships with God.

Running the Race

This year the Grand View Thunder had their first year of girl’s soccer. The team was led by seniors Cara Arrasmith, Abby Booth, Elena Stock, Ashlan Thompson, Lauren Ulrich, and Tiffany Zhu and coached by head coach Mr. Jack Arneson and assistant coach Mrs. Josephine Wilkes. Ashlan decided to play soccer because, “I really enjoyed it growing up and saw the opportunity to do something I enjoy.” Abby said, “The coaches worked on conditioning and ball control. They taught us the basics and the fundamentals.” Ashlan also complimented the coaches’ skill saying, “They helped with a lot of fundamentals, and they really have a lot of knowledge of the game.” Coach Wilkes “worked with sopho-more goalie Abbey Boggess on reac-tion time, getting control of the ball, and when to advance on an opposing player.” Coach Wilkes was also asked what they worked on with the rest of

the team, she replied, “Well it’s an entirely new program, so we have players of all skill sets. One thing that we have worked on is trying to develop the more experienced players while also teaching the people that have never played the basics.” While the girls focused on fundamen-tals and building the soccer program from scratch, the guys worked to build on to last year’s program and tried to hone their skills while also working on finesse. The boys soccer team partnered with Ankeny Christian Academy this year and was coached by head coach Mr. John Gorgeon and assisted by Mr. Eric Fisher and Mr. Ryan Young.The boys team was led by Aleks Bru-mels, Parker Owens, Antonio Santa Maria, and Cameron Tarbell. Aleks liked “playing it [soccer] because I’ve done it all my life and it gets me in shape.” When asked about how he wanted the season to turn out, he said, “I think we can do a lot better than last year and finish with a win-ning season.”

Noah ParleeSports Writer

Thunder Softball Girls Never QuitMason Cole

Sports Writer

“Strike three, you’re out!” The Grand-view Christian School girls softball team had a solid season with a record of 12-11, led by Coach Geoff Lane. Coach Lane said, “I thoroughly en-joyed this year’s season. We had an amazing group of girls that all got along really well. The girls also made amazing improvements throughout the year.” Coach Lane said his favorite game of

the year was senior night when the girls were down 8-1 at the bottom of the final inning, but they scored seven runs to tie the game and ended up winning in extra innings.When asked what her favorite part

of the season was, sopho-more Abbey Boggess said, “Seeing An-nie Feldman catching a ball for the very first t ime.” Sophomore Karley Ra-mus’s favorite moment was "playing soft-

ball for the first time in years.” Junior Emma Seyler loved early morning practices and Meadow Seidenkranz, a freshman, said that her favorite game was also senior night. Sierra Tarbell, a senior, simply stated, “I just love softball!”Finally, Coach Lane and Sierra Tarbell were asked what they were looking forward to most for next year. Coach Lane expressed that, “I am looking forward to [coach-ing] the upcoming 8th graders and the returning players.” Sierra added, “I am excited for having more girls with potential for interesting line-ups. It’s my senior year and my last sport that I will be playing at GVCS.” GVCS’s own Sami Mealey, a senior, made All

State second team, with Sierra Tarbell achieving honorable mention. GVCS also had three girls selected first team all-conference: Kendra Clark, Sierra Tarbell, and Sami Mealey. Senior Mack Fry also made second team all-confer-ence. GVCS is excited to see what the softball girls will do in this coming season!

Grand View Soccer ReturnsNoah Parlee

Sports Writer

The team looks to improve over last year's record with returning experience and hard work.

This year the Thunder’s cross country team partnered with Ankeny Christian Academy for the season. The Thunder runners were senior Antonio Santa Maria and sophomore Severin Young, and the team was coached by Mr. Michael Donahue. When asked why they ran, Severin Young said, “[I run] because it feels good.” Antonio stated, “I ran because it was something new

and exhilarating.” Antonio would go on to shave an incredible 2 minutes and 15 seconds off his begining season time of 21 min.The Apostle Paul uses a running analogy and compares it to the gospel several times. Cross country, just like the Christian life, is a race. It is a long, slow race with many hills, valleys, twists, and turns. The program strives to teach young men how to push past pain and find the motivation to keep going. These are skills not only useful for running, but also for life.

Freshman Delaney Wilson dribbles down field for the Grand View Thunder.

The Thunder softball team come together for a word of prayer.

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Spring 2017

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Incredible 20-5 Season Ends One Game Short of Goal

Mason ColeSports Writer

Effort best defines the girls basketball program which ended just one game away from state. The successful season can be attributed to the effort and experience of seniors like Megan Stubbs and Raquel Dickerson who both broke the thousand point mark for their high school careers. Megan also earned 2nd team All-state Iowa Girls Coaches Association, 3rd team All-State Iowa News Association, participated in the senior All Star Game, and made Academic All-State. The lady Thunder also had the 7th highest three point percentage in the state in class 1A and finished the season with an incredible 20-5 record.The team was coached by Pastor Jason Blunk, an alumnus of the school, and assisted by Mr. Brandon Stubbs and Mr. Dave Stubbs.The secret to the girls’ success, according to senior Sierra Tarbell, was, “A unified team that played with a lot of passion.” When asked how

she improved her game this year, Sierra said,“[I tried] getting more competitive in my drive and will.” The Thunder have a lot to look forward to next year. As junior Emily Hurley said, “I’m really looking forward to the new talent next year.” It looks like the Thunder’s excellence on the court will continue in the years to come.

Senior Megan Stubbs leads the Lady Thunder in an incredible 20-5 season.

As a Christian school, Grand View students strive to show Christ through a good testimony in everything they do. Participating in athletics provides a unique opportunity to live out the Great Commission through athletics. Sports provide a great opportunity to not only participate, but also witness and show God’s love to the opposing team. As high school English teacher Mrs. Becky Safford stated, “The opportunity to go out among the unsaved like that is an incredible opportunity.” The athletes at Grand View try to shine the light in every way they can. From praying with other teams on the football field to being an encouraging crowd at all games and meets, all participants should always strive to be an excellent witness for Christ. Middle school coach and teacher Mr. Geoff Lane said, “I would d e f i n e C h r i s t i a n spor t smansh ip as playing the game competitively and to the best of your ability while still showing humility and respect to other opponents and officials.” As freshman chaplain

Marti Steinblums stated, “My opinion isn’t going to change any referee’s mind, so we can be a good witness by the way we treat the officials and other players.”Christian sportsmanship can be split into two main categories: a Christian athlete and a Christian fan. As senior Abby Booth shared, “Christian athletes should play their hearts out, trying to do their best for God, but they need to know the difference between arrogance and confidence.” While Christian fans need to be polite and show respect to the other team and the officials, the team coaches should try to encourage an atmosphere that builds up their team while also encouraging the other team and showing deserved respect to the referees. As the Bible says in Proverbs 11:2, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” The school tries to live this verse out in all of their athletics.

Noah ParleeSports Writer

Christian Sportsmanship Reflects Christ

"Can I get a G, can I get a V, can I get a C, can I get an S? What’s that spell? GVCS! "The girls’ cheerleading squad is on the sideline of almost every Grand View sporting event, cheering on athletes and getting the crowd pumped up. The cheer squad was led by their coach, Miss Emma Janssen, with her sister, senior Lillie Janssen, as the cheer captain. Seeing how exciting cheerleading can be, international

student Tiffany Zhu decided to get involved in the fun. She wanted to "try cheerleading as something new and fun, and to make some new friends." Tiffany’s favorite part of cheerleading was “trying the stunts.”Sophomore Serenity Young was asked why she decided to cheer. She replied, “Doing stunts, making friends, and hanging out with my fellow cheerleaders.” Serenity has participated in both basketball and football cheerleading. Her favorite cheer is "Knock You Out." Sophomore Corinn Tarbell’s favorite memory

Team captains invite teams to end the evening in a word of prayer.

was, “When Tiffany flew over my head and was inches away from hitting the ground,” and her favorite cheer was "Marching." Corinn joined cheer because, “It’s fun, and I get to yell!” Freshman Meadow Seidenkranz’s favorite part was “the long bus rides. They were pretty great,” and her favorite cheer was "Red Hot."The GVCS cheer squads did a great job cheering on the boys football

team and the GVCS basketball teams this year and returning participants are looking forward to cheering next year.

Cheerleading Promotes School Spirit Mason Cole

Sports Writer

Senior Tiffany Zhu, sophomore Annie Feldman, junior Lydia VanNausdle, sophomores Serenity Young and Corinn Tarbell, and senior Jennifer Zhang represented Grand View at the state tournament

Middle School Football is All About Experience Noah Parlee

Sports WriterThe Grand View Thunder junior high football team capped off another year coached by head coach Mr. Jonathan Nilius and assistant coach Mr. Mark Caples.When asked about the team’s perfor-mance, Coach Nilius said, “I thought that they didn’t give up. They had

some struggles, but they improved throughout the season.” The team was led by eighth grad-ers Austin Tarbell and Alandis Arrasmith. Coach Nilius said that they were the emotional leaders who “helped keep guys focused and challenged them with their great work ethic.”

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Hand-Stick! The Grand View Christian boy’s track team, led by Coach John Safford, had a record breaking year with seven new school records. At the Bluegrass Conference meet, the GVCS boys placed sixth out of twelve teams. In the long jump junior Brayden Jacobs placed third with a jump of 17’ 2”. Matthew Dubberke, a junior, placed third in the 3200 M run. The shuttle hurdle team, consisting of sophomores Brennan Hydorn and Justin Jacobs, freshman Jack Geist, and anchor Brayden Jacobs placed second. In the 100 M dash junior Peyton Leever placed first. Isaiah Pick, a junior, placed fourth in the 800 M run. In the 400 meter hurdles, Jack Geist placed third. Finally, the 4x100 M relay team placed second, consisting of senior Colin Symanski,

Peyton Leever, Brayden Jacobs, and Brennan Hydorn. The school’s track team is combined with students from Ankeny Christian Academy, giving the school more runners to fill slots at the meet events. One of the team’s best sprinters, Peyton Leever from ACA, was interviewed about his season, and what he liked about this year. His favorite part of the season was “hanging out with Coach Safford.” When asked why he runs track, Leever replied, “Safford, enough said.” Leever looks forward to next year’s season and “can’t wait to hang out with coach next year and hopefully break the 100 meter dash record again for the second year in a row.” The GVCS track team is looking forward to next year’s season and breaking even more records along with growing closer together as a team and building better friendships.

The Thunder freshman-sophomore and JV teams finished a great year of basketball. This year the Thunder added a freshman-sophomore team to help accommodate its rapidly growing basketball program. The team was coached by Coach Shawn Ikenberry in correlation with varsity head coach Dave Stubbs. The team helped newer and younger players by giving them real game experience, and according to freshman Marcos Hinojosa, “The coaches really worked on shooting accuracy to help the team score more points.” He also said that his favorite memory of the season was “when Adam made a three for the first time.”Being a Christian school, GVCS tries to incorporate biblical teachings. As freshman Gage Fry stated, “Every practice we talk about verses that apply to sports and the Christian life.” Marcos added, “We always pray before and after games, and we try to be a good loser and a good winner.” Overall, the program tries to teach the game of basketball to less experienced players. It also centers the program around the Bible, to give players not only the skills they need, but also the virtues that will help them grow in Jesus Christ.Go Thunder Youth! This year the

Grand View Track Sets New Records

Mason ColeSports Writer

Thunder organized their first ever elementary basketball program, play-ing against public schools like Saydel and Panorama.The head coach was Mr. Jason Grease. The assistant coach, Mr. Rob Seyler, said, “The main goal of basketball is, obviously, to teach the sport of basket-ball. But at a Christian school, we try to incorporate teachings about Jesus and the Bible into our coaching. We also tried to teach the value of patience to help developing players persevere and never get discouraged.”Jamarcus Bradley-Norman, a student in the fifth grade who played center and power forward, said, “The coaches really worked on us getting good shooting form and technique.” The program strives to teach the younger kids the sport of basketball and to help them perform better in later years.Malachi Seyler, a fifth grader at GVCS, stated, “I enjoyed being able to work with older kids and having cool nicknames.”The girls team was coached by Mr. Ryan Fry, a member of the Grand View Christian School Board. Jes-sie Lane, a fifth grader, said that the overall purpose was, “to have fun and to learn the game.” The Thunder elementary basketball program is teaching life lessons and the sport of basketball to help them become better, more Christ-like play-ers on and off the court.

Basketball for the Future Noah Parlee

Sports Writer

When asked about how football prepared him for future years, Austin replied, “Being quarterback was a taste of what it is like to be a leader, and this experience will help me in my future.” Though the team did not finish with a third straight undefeated season as many would have liked, the team still

enjoyed their time together and grew together as a team. Returning eighth grade tight end Jack Seyler stated, “I developed relationships with my teammates and enjoyed growing stronger.” The coaches now look to develop their team next year and help teach new kids the great game of football.

The shuttle hurdle team led by sophomore Brennan Hydorn placed second at the Bluegrass Conference meet.