Archive for September 2019
Psych Students Study Childhood Brain Development
High school juniors and seniors enjoyed interacting with kindergarten students on September 26 as part of a psychology class lesson on brain development. “This is certainly a bonus of being a K-12 school,” says Curt Stutzman, Bible, English and social sciences teacher. “It’s great to be able to do a lesson on brain development, and…
Read MoreFifth Grade Pursues Interdisciplinary Study
For the past week, Erika Gascho’s fifth-grade students have worked on a project that combines all the concepts from various subjects they have been learning. Mrs. Gascho assigned small groups of three or four a country and gave them a paper snake. She assigned them the project of creating a home that fits the needs…
Read More14th Peace Parade Marks International Day of Peace
Fifth grade students at Eastern Mennonite Elementary School led the annual Peace Parade for their schoolmates on Monday, Sept. 23. It was the 14th year that older students planned and led the parade featuring a super size peace dove puppet. Students carried origami paper cranes. The United Nations International Peace Day was the previous Saturday,…
Read MoreStudents Enjoy Photography and Science with Professors on River
Eastern Mennonite High School students in environmental science and chemistry classes spent a recent afternoon along the North Fork of the Shenandoah River in Bergton, Virginia, doing chemical analysis and studying macroinvertebrates, organisms that lack a spine and are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. They also were introduced to underwater photography.…
Read MoreStudents Explore Sabbath Practices for Chapel
A walk in Park Woods, a nap on the floor, time alone with a Bible or journal, coloring and meditating… these were some of the Sabbath practices that students in grade six to 12 tried out as part of Spiritual Renewal Week, Sept. 16 to 20, at Eastern Mennonite School. Each fall and spring the…
Read MorePlayground Offers Hands-on Science Lessons
Eighth grade physical science students dug holes, examined rocks, weighed and measured inside and outside the school building in recent weeks to help install donated oversize tractor tires for a new elementary climbing structure. The hands-on project was spearheaded by Lee Good, middle school physical science teacher, who rounded up the five-foot size tires for…
Read MoreRock Formations Part of this Year’s Peace Pledge
Each elementary student chose a rock as part of this fall’s annual time of signing the school’s Peace Pledge. This is the 15th year that EMES students have signed the pledge, which highlights seven tenets (full listing below): To respect self and others; to communicate better; to listen; to forgive; to respect nature; to play…
Read MoreSewing and Canning Still Important Life Skills
While the arts of sewing a pair of pajama pants or canning a jar of salsa may not seem priority in the tech-infused 21st century, Eastern Mennonite School teacher Anna Haarer sees a lot of value. “Sure, you could buy a pair of flannel pants at a big box store for less than good quality…
Read MoreEMS Hosts 46th Annual Cross-Country Invitational
More than 500 middle and high school runners from area public and private schools gathered at Peak View Elementary School on Saturday, Sept. 14, for the 46th annual EMHS Cross Country Invitational run on the Burtner Farm course in Penn Laird, Virginia. Andrew Gascho, in his first year as athletic director for the school, oversaw…
Read MoreCentennial Quilt Revealed and Dedicated
Nearly two years in the making, students, faculty and staff saw the finished EMS Centennial quilt at a chapel service on September 12, 2019, and shared in a prayer of dedication and blessing. The quilt, 90 inches wide by 102 inches long, was created as part of the school’s centennial celebration during the academic year…
Read MoreScience Students Access University Labs
EMS students are fortunate to have access to university quality laboratories, thanks to nearby James Madison University and Eastern Mennonite University and collegial relationships between EMS science teachers and area professors. Early in the school year, Kevin Carini‘s physics students worked on a force table at Eastern Mennonite University’s Suter Science Center. The board is…
Read MoreJanie Frazier ’12, Poised to Soar to New Heights
Editor’s note: This article was originally published by Adelphi University, Sept. 3, 2019. Janie Frazier is a 2012 alumna of Eastern Mennonite School. Janie Frazier, an artist and flight instructor, was delighted when she was offered a position on the board of directors for her family’s business, Frazier Quarry Inc., a limestone quarry in Virginia’s…
Read MoreK-5 Team Visits Building Renovation
Our elementary teachers and staff took advantage of early dismissal on September 5 to visit the elementary building, as renovation reaches the final stages. Mike Stoltzfus, director of business affairs, updated them as he led the tour. Teachers began to dream about their classroom space taking shape, identifying where they would want their whiteboard or…
Read MoreLori Garrett, Named Alumna of the Year
An EMHS field trip to New York City launched Lori Snyder ‘79 Garrett — the 2019 Eastern Mennonite School Alumna of the Year — on the path to a career in architecture, thanks to art teacher Esther Kniss ‘49 Augsburger. On that trip, Augsberger introduced Lori to three architects who encouraged her to pursue her…
Read MoreKirsten Moore is Community Engagement Awardee
Not even a surprise downpour on an outdoor dinner party can dampen the enthusiasm of Kirsten Nafziger ‘89 Moore, recipient of the Community Engagement Award for Eastern Mennonite School 2019. That dinner–a flora and fauna themed event with native and foraged foods–took place on 834 private acres in George Washington National Forest in late July…
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