Spring/Summer 2021

After 33 years of teaching history and Bible classes at EMS, Elwood Yoder is moving on to write a Virginia Mennonite history book. Family who joined a May 3 recognition were: Philip ’10, Elwood and Joy, Maria ’06 and Aaron Billings, and grandchildren. Son, Nathaniel ’04, lives in Kansas with Maggie and their children. Read more about…

As COVID-restrictions began to ease this spring, students enjoyed versions of some long-held EMS traditions. Fourth and fifth graders put on a play outdoors for the elementary school’s annual dessert theater. Community Service Day in outdoor nearby settings with small groups revived the tradition which took a hiatus last spring. Juniors and seniors enjoyed a banquet…

“Slavery in Rockingham County,” singing together for the first time, and learning from area streams were among the experiences offered to students in mid-April. The days were a COVID-adjusted and safe alternative to the usual week-long spring experiential learning offered for grades 6-12 known as E-term and Explore Week. The group experiences included: Advocacy and…

Varsity athletics teams had a chance at competitive play this winter and spring with masking and distance learning while in season. Spring highlights included: At the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) state-wide meet, Gabriel Albers ’21 was named Athlete of the Meet and Most Valuable Runner for DII. He broke two school records in both…

Most of Eastern Mennonite School’s 357 students, K to 12, came to school daily throughout the 2020-21 school year. Our students wore masks, kept distance, wiped desks, ate lunch outside (a good change!), adjusted to new schedules, and limited interactions to smaller groups. Some did classwork from home for the safety of compromised family members,…