www.lancastermennonite.org WINTER 2009

Centered in Christ Transforming Lives

Changing our World

Rutt Academic Center grandopening, page 2

Outdoorclassroom, page 4

PreK expanded,page 6

Alumni feature,page 15

LL ANCANC ASTERASTER MENNONITEMENNONITE SCHOOLSCHOOL

2 BRIDGES • WINTER 2009

4 Middle school life science class utilizes stream

6 PreK program expanded

7 Open house events

8 School update

12 Alumni news

13 Alumni phonathon

15 Jerry Martin, alumnifeature

cont

ents

Bridges is the quarterly magazine ofLancaster Mennonite School, sent toalumni, parents and friends. LMSexists to transform students so theycan change our world throughChristlike love, peacemaking andservice. The school welcomes stu-dents without regard to sex, race,nationality or ethnic origin.

Lancaster Mennonite School has four campuses:

Kraybill, grades PreK–8598 Kraybill Church RoadMount Joy, PA 17552(717) 653-5236

Lancaster, grades 6–122176 Lincoln Highway EastLancaster, PA 17602(717) 299-0436

Locust Grove, Grades PreK–82257 Old Philadelphia PikeLancaster, PA 17602(717) 394-7107

New Danville, grades PreK–6393 Long LaneLancaster, PA 17603(717) 872-2506

Address alumni and school news tosprungerdl@lancastermennonite.org.

Editor: Fern Clemmer clemmerfe@lancastermennonite.org

Volume 36, No. 3

Cover photo: Students change classesDecember 2 after the opening of theschool’s Rutt Academic Center. The newcenter is in the background.

think I have even felt tired or yawnedonce while in the new building.

“The better technology makes it eas-ier to pay attention, too, instead ofbeing distracted by technical malfunc-tions. The dorm basement used to bereally loud and distracting; its nice notto have that anymore.”

Formal dedicationWhile the students moved into RuttAcademic Center on December 2, thegrand opening and formal dedicationwas saved for Sunday, December 21,to coincide with the annual high schoolChristmas concert. Hundreds, includingmany concert goers, attended an openhouse in the center that included stu-dent PowerPoint projects, green ele-ment presentations, Smart Boarddemonstrations, tours of the systemoffices, and refreshments provided bystudents and staff.

During a 5:30 dedication, Superinten-dent Richard Thomas thanked the manyfriends who made the building possible,including Janet and Calvin High whosegift led to ground breaking, and theseven children of Clarence and ElvaRutt whose significant giving resultedin naming the center the Rutt AcademicCenter.

Dr. John Rutt, who represented theRutt family during the dedication serv-ice, expressed appreciation for all thefamilies who gave, as well as his par-ents who sacrificed so he and his sixsiblings could attend and graduate fromLancaster Mennonite School.

Other participants in the dedicationincluded New Century Jubilee chairGerald Horst and Director of Advance-ment Heidi Stoltzfus who explained thejourney to completion, and High Con-struction representative Nevin Cooleywho described the construction as“more than a project”—rather, it wasproviding an academic center for stu-dents, he said. LMS board chair DianeUmble concluded the program with aprayer of blessing.

The three-story facility houses themath, science, business education, andfamily and consumer science depart-ments as well as administrative officesfor all four campuses. n

Grand opening celebrates Rutt Academic Center

MUCH MORE THAN BRICKS AND MORTAR

It’s like night and day. That’s how JeanForshey, family and consumer science

teacher, describes the differencebetween teaching in the crowded roomsbeneath Graybill Residence Hall and hernew area in the Rutt Academic Center.

“You feel like you are actually teach-ing,” she said. “You don’t have to fightthe environment, and the lighting—that’s a big difference.”

Other improvements, she said,include ample storage resulting in betterorganization; equipment that works;new items such as dish washers,garbage disposals, a large pantry and acommercial refrigerator; and U-shapedwork areas that allow her to see all herstudents at the same time.

All the teachers seem to love theSmart Board—even those who wereapprehensive at first.

“I was dreading the Smart Boardbecause I’m not very technologicallysavvy,” mathematics teacher Karen Diffenbach said, “but now I love that I can put all this information on thereand then easily remove it or add it backon for later classes. It really makesteaching easier.”

Matthew Spurrier, also a mathteacher, says the boards fit well withstudents, a generation that loves tech-nology.

“Student volunteerism is very highright now,” he said, “because they wantto come up and use the Smart Board.”The technology also helps teachersshare lesson plans, and internationalstudents have the advantage of receiv-ing notes that mirror what was on theSmart Board.

For students it was exciting to finallymove into a facility they had watchedbeing constructed for over a year.

“I was hoping it would be finishedbefore I graduate,” said senior KaelaLandis. “I love the new lab rooms, thehuge windows, and the overall spaciousfeeling to the rooms.”

Senior Darian Harnish also empha-sized “the outside light and big openclassrooms.”

“I definitely find it easier to payattention to the teachers in the newbuilding,” he said. “With the naturallight and the better air quality, I don't

BRIDGES • WINTER 2009 3

Counterclockwise, starting with oval photo at top:ribbon-cutting ceremony on December 2, nighttimephoto by Cornerstone Design • Architects, Decem-ber 21 open house guests examine interactive reso-nance device in physics classroom, math teacherKaren Diffenbach demonstrates the Smart Board,guests and family & consumer science staff chatover refreshments, Superintendent Richard Thomasthanks donors during the formal dedication, Dr.John Rutt shares at dedication, students enjoy newchemistry laboratory, and open house guests andstaff visit in center’s atrium.

ABOVE THREE PHOTOS AND ATRIUM PHOTO: JONATHAN CHARLES

PHO

TO:S

AM

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THA

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Wayne Lehman, middle school scienceteacher at the Lancaster Campus, was

thrilled when he received a grant to attend a summer institute on teaching middle schoolersabout stream health. Clean water is one of ourmost valuable commodities worldwide. Without it we perish.

Stroud Water Research Center, who conductedthe institute, chose our Lancaster Campus as thesite for the training since Mill Creek runs rightthrough the campus. Four days of the institutewere held on campus, and the fifth was held at theresearch center’s base at Avondale, Pennsylvania.The course was funded through a grant from theWilliam Penn Foundation and a contract with theNew York State Department of EnvironmentalConservation.

During the fall semester that followed the insti-tute, Lehman took what he learned to his seventhgrade life science class, using Mill Creek as theperfect hands-on classroom. Because streamsaffect the health of other waterways, stream studyis a good place to begin when looking at the worldwater scene.

“What happens upstream has a huge impact onwhat happens downstream,” Lehman said. “Wewant them to learn how to take care of waterwherever they live.” Mill Creek, he explained,eventually runs into the Chesapeake Bay.

The Leaf Pack Experiment that Lehman intro-duced to his students involves creating leaf packs(dry leaves in mesh bags), placing them in thestream for three to four weeks, then examiningthem to discover the number and types of aquaticorganisms that have set up housekeeping among

the leaves. These findings serve as indicators ofthe stream’s health. The data is then shared onlinethrough The Leaf Pack Network (a network ofteachers and students investigating their localstream ecosystem), shedding light on the importantconnection between streamside forests and theecology of rivers and streams.

During the stream unit, the students also conductmeasurements to provide a physical description ofthe stream—how deep and wide it is, rate of flow,condition of banks, and the types of trees growingon the banks. This year Lehman has 56 seventhgraders who are participating in the Leaf project.

The clean water issue is “just huge,” saysLehman who is concerned with many others aboutthe availability of water in 10–15 years.

“In some senses water is more important thanenergy,” he said. “We’re talking about basichuman need here—clean drinking water.”

Lehman also uses the campus’s outdoor class-room for other middle school science lessons, suchas a bird study and his yearlong “Adopt a Spot”activity where students choose an outdoor spot on

campus and then returnfor a half hour once amonth to study the eco-logical changes.

“We are so blessed tohave a pond, stream andwoodland,” Lehman said.“These natural settingsgive kids the types oflearning experiences theyremember long after theclassroom lectures areforgotten.” n

CAMPUS STREAM ENHANCES MIDDLE SCHOOL LIFE SCIENCE

Stewardship taught throughOutdoor classroom

In some senses wateris more importantthen energy. We’retalking about basichuman need here—clean drinking water.

- Wayne Lehman,life science teacher

Middle school life science teacher Wayne Lehman helpsstudents prepare Leaf Pack for stream study. Studentsare, left to right: Lesly Fernandez, David Forte andSamuel Ortega.

4 BRIDGES • WINTER 2009

Bottom photo: Life science classfastens Leaf Pack to a rock so itremains secure during the four-week testing period when the packwill attract organisms living in thestream. Counterclockwise, begin-ning at top: Samuel Ortega, EmilyBreneman, Lesly Fernandez,teacher Wayne Lehman and David Forte.

Photo at bottom right: Classmeasures the clarity of the stream,another indicator of streamhealth. Left to right: Carlos Colon,Lesly Fernandez, Wayne Lehmanand Emily Breneman.

Over the years alumni and friends have been faithful inhelping to provide facilities that allow the school to con-

nect with the gifts and abilities within each student, helpingto shape the leaders, doctors, salespersons, pastors and manyothers who are our friends and neighbors. For this we aremost grateful. For the school’s mission to continue, we needongoing participation in two new projects.

Kraybill Campus improvementsExpanding the PreK/kindergarten program at Kraybill is a pri-ority that is shared at the state and national levels. It has beenfound that strong early childhood programs lead to a higherpercentage of students graduating from high school andadvancing to higher education. In addition, we believe that at this formative age the school’s message of love, care andvalue for each student will find receptive hearts. There is awaiting list at Kraybill of families who want to enroll in PreK.

The changes at Kraybill will improve campus security,provide visitor-friendly entrances and lobbies with handicapaccessibility, enhance aesthetics, and create better traffic flowthat will eliminate congestion and a more student friendlyenvironment. Preliminary projections estimate the cost to be $1.5 million, including endowment that will maintain thefacility. The school’s goal is to break ground as soon as possi-ble to complete the following:

• renovate the school's main entrance

• enlarge the lobby

• add a classroom for PreK and kindergarten

• relocate the offices for greater student security

• connect the rear of the elementary building to thegymnasium—reducing student traffic in the mainlobby area and decreasing walking time for studentsgoing to the gym

• increase access to the middle school student lockerarea and enlarge middle school hallway space—alleviating student congestion between classes

Lancaster Campus track and field facilityTrack and field at Lancaster Mennonite High School becamepart of the Lancaster-Lebanon League in the spring of 2005.Because we did not have a track and field facility, our gra-cious neighbors, Lampeter-Strasburg High School sharedtheir facilities for practices and home meets. Four years later,LMS athletes are still without a track and field facility.

According to Athletic Director Mike Yoder, the $1.27 mil-lion facility goes far beyond interscholastic sports. Yes, itwould add significant credibility to our track program, butthat’s only half the story.

“It’s not just an athletic facility,” Yoder said, “It will beused just as much by our student body in gym classes.”

Here are some of the things teachers will be able to do:• Accurately measure distances when doing fitness

training

• Teach various types of runs and interval training in weight training class

• Train for basketball pre-season

• Plan for an all-school track and field day forelementary and middle school students

Events like Student Council fundraisers and the IronBridge Run/Walk, along with the gifts of 1,000 donors, havealready raised $500,000 toward the project. n

How can I help?Eighty percent of the cost is needed before ground break-ing can occur. Join us in moving these projects forward bysending your gift today to Lancaster Mennonite School,2176 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, PA 17602, or bymaking a gift online at www.lancastermennonite.org.

Or, you may contact Director of Advancement HeidiStoltzfus at (717) 299-0436, ext. 308, or stoltzfushe@lan-castermennonite.org to discuss giving opportunities.

Investments with good returns

The art above shows the proposed track and field facility for the Lancaster Campus. The artist rendering at right shows the proposedfront entrance planned for the Kraybill Campus.

BRIDGES • WINTER 2009 5

Lancaster Mennonite Schoolis offering a five-day full-

day pre-kindergarten programat its New Danville Campusthis year, and the Locust GroveCampus also will offer onenext year. The Kraybill Cam-pus has plans for a new facility(see page 5) that will allow itto expand to five days as well.The five-day program isoffered in addition to two,three and four-day options.

Because parents want pro-grams that will best preparechildren for school, LMS hasbeen a leader in providing full-day in-school kindergarten andpre-kindergarten experiences.LMS believes that the bestpreparation for elementaryschool is to attend pre-kinder-garten and kindergarten in anelementary school setting.Expanding the pre-kindergartenprogram to five days will furtherprepare students for a more challenging kinder-garten program, as well as first grade.

Educational consultant Connie Stauffer believesthe extra full days are beneficial.

“Society is now demanding an accelerated pushfor learning,” she said, “and the old-time kinder-garten is being pushed to PreK.”

Stauffer helped to establish a pre-kindergartenphilosophy and curriculum for Lancaster Mennon-ite that is based on a holistic view of the child andmeets students at their level of development. At allthree campuses, the pre-kindergarten program isintegrated into the overall elementary school pro-gram so students are exposed to a wider variety of school experiences, teachers, and role models.

Being at school all day like elementary studentsalso reduces the need for a day care center or othercaregiver while parents are at work.

LMS parents have supported the school’sapproach to pre-kindergarten. They say PreK students move more easily into kindergarten andbeyond and actually do better in school thanbefore pre-kindergarten was available.

Lancaster Mennonite Superintendent RichardThomas, who oversees the entire system from pre-kindergarten through high school, believes that the

five-day full-day pre-kindergarten fits the school’svision to provide educational excellence for chil-dren of all ages for area families.

“Everything we know points to the fact thatearly childhood education pays later dividends inhelping students be successful in school,” he said.

Anne Roth, PreK teacher at New Danville, saysthat, in addition to offering a quality academic program at the PreK level, it is important to teachsocial skills.

“It’s learning how to play and how to get alongwith each other,” she said. “That’s important, too.”

Stephanie Kreider teaches PreK at LocustGrove, and Jessica Lloyd at Kraybill.

Applications are being accepted for the 2009-10 school year. Go to www.lancastermennonite.orgfor more information about the school’s compre-hensive pre-kindergarten to grade 12 program.Scholarships are available. n

6 BRIDGES • WINTER 2009

School increases pre-kindergarten optionsFIVE-DAY, FULL-DAY PROGRAM OFFERED

Everything we knowpoints to the fact that early childhood education pays later dividends in helpingstudents be successfulin school.

- J. Richard Thomas, Superintendent Anne Roth teaches pre-kindergarten full time at the New Danville Campus.

PHOTO: JONATHAN CHARLES

An investment that willimpact your child for lifeEnroll now for PreK-12 at four campuses

Now is a good time to decide whereyour children will attend school in the

fall. Call today and schedule a visit at oneor more of our four campuses. In addition,visit us during our Open House eventwhich is set for Tuesday, February 3, 6-8:30 p.m. Finally, don’t forget to visit ourweb site at www.lancastermennonite.orgwhere you’ll find admissions applicationsas well as applications for scholarships andfinancial aid. We would love to meet you!

High school residence hallThe school’s Graybill Hall, with five-dayand seven-day programs, makes it possiblefor high school students living outsideLancaster County to take full advantage ofthe excellent growth opportunities at LMS.This year 45 students live in the residencehall, representing five states, and six coun-tries. For more information about thisopportunity, visit the high school section atwww.lancastermennonite.org and click on“residence hall.”

Who are we?

• There are 1,500 students enrolled at fourcampuses (PreK–12). Students may transferto LMS at any level.

• The school’s goal is to create a culture ofkindness in which students respect eachother’s differences.

• Approximately 52 percent of LMS studentsare from Anabaptist denominations, andmore than 20 other denominations andmany non-denominational congregationsare represented.

• At the Lancaster Campus, 21 percent of stu-dents are of under-represented racial/ethnicgroups. At Locust Grove, 26 percent, and atNew Danville, 29 percent.

• Students at the Lancaster Campus represent46 school districts, four Pa. counties, sixstates, and six countries.

• Students at all levels are encouraged todevelop their gifts and abilities in prepara-tion for college and career planning. Start-ing in 2009-10, all seniors will give a seniorpresentation in which they will share theirPreK–12 pilgrimage and post high schoolplans with family and friends.

• The high school enjoys SAT scores that arehigher than any Lancaster County publicschool. n

The school’s residence hall is a rich tradition that was established in 1942 to welcome youngpeople living outside Lancaster County—students like Jerry Martin and Jeanette Hertzler Martin,for example (see page 15). Today the residence hall, now called Graybill Hall, continues makingLMS a reality for alumni children and others who want to take advantage of the many opportu-nities at LMS but who live too far away to commute. PHOTOS: JONATHAN CHARLES

Lancaster Mennonite School

OPEN HOUSEEvents for all campuses

February 3, 6–8:30 p.m.• Tours and conversations with teachers• Welcome assembly at the Kraybill (6:30)

and Lancaster (7:00) campuses • High school course selection• Information about financial

aid/scholarships.

March 26Prospective Student DayHigh School: 8:05 a.m.–3:05 p.m. Other grades: mornings only. Please call to register.

For more information or to schedule a visit:Kraybill, grades PreK–8Principal John Weber(717) 653-5236

Lancaster, grades 6–12(717) 299-0436, ext. 312

Locust Grove, grades PreK–8Principal Judi Mollenkof (717) 394-7107

New Danville, grades PreK–6Principal Judi Mollenkof (717) 872-2506

BRIDGES • WINTER 2009 7

8 BRIDGES • WINTER 2009

For five Locust Grove ChallengeProgram* students, Dharavi, a

slum in India, is no longer just a doton a map.

It all began when teacher BarbaraJosephian introduced her fifth gradeclass to the unit on cities in whichstudents study how metropolitanareas work and then build a modelcity to illustrate what they havelearned. During the introduction,Josephian gave examples of cities in third world countries that aren’tworking at all. When the class asked,“What are slums?” and “What is athird world country?” Josephian sawthe teachable moment.

Bringing her May 2007 issue ofNational Geographic magazine to the next class period,Josephian shared pictures and stories about Dharavi wherechildren play in sewers, and malnutrition and pollutionabound. The students learned that nearly two billion worldcitizens live in slums, with one million of them in Dhar-avi’s approximately one square mile area. It was then thatone student piped up, “Why don’t we rebuild Dharavi?”The four others quickly caught the vision, and before longthey were crawling around on a made-to-scale map ofDharavi, making infrastructure decisions that will createbetter living conditions. For example, their model city willfeature taller apartment buildings so a 200-square-foot liv-ing area will house 12 persons instead of 24.

The students recently talked about how it feels to knowothers have so little when we in the U.S. have so much.

“I hate it,” Abbey King said. “I feel, like, glutinous.”“We should try to do something about it,” added Julian

Brubaker. Though the students tried to comfort themselves

Locust Grove students catch the vision

Left to right: Abbey King, Julian Brubaker, Seth Weaver, teacher Barbara Josephian,Rebecca Lauver and Emily Peifer.

n In December, the Kraybill Campusraised $2,950 for plastic sheeting thatwill allow Mennonite Central Commit-tee to provide shelter for over 1,000Chinese families who lost their homesduring the May earthquake. In addition,Locust Grove students donated non-per-ishable food items for local food banks,and New Danville students collected115 shoebox gifts for Operation Christ-mas Child, a program of Samaritan’sPurse. Shoe boxes were filled withschool supplies, small toys, and hygieneitems.

with the knowledge that the slum dwellers have differentexpectations and experience happiness in ways unrelatedto riches, they concluded that slum conditions are unjust.

Their enthusiasm spread to the whole Locust GroveCampus. As a result, the March 31 Family Science Nightwill focus on projects that can help citizens of the thirdworld, and Locust Grove’s annual Valentines Project willbenefit orphan children in Zambia, Africa.

“It’s wonderful when students grasp a concept likepoverty and world need,” Principal Judi Mollenkof said.“And when they transfer that into something they can do,that’s the school’s mission right there—‘transforming stu-dents so they can change our world.’ That’s what we’re all about.” n

*Lancaster Mennonite’s Challenge Program is designed to helpmeet the needs of academically gifted students by enriching andextending their education beyond the regular curriculum.

n Mary Anne Gar-ber, who worked infood services at theLancaster Campusfor over three years,died Saturday,November 22,2008, after an auto-mobile accident.Students and staffat the Lancaster Campus rememberedand celebrated Garber’s life during amemorial service held January 8 duringchapel.

Mary Anne Garber

New Danville students with some of theshoebox gifts they collected for OperationChristmas Child. Left to right: Emily Rosen-feld, Micaiah Barley, Josiah Sugden andErmisha Wanore. PHOTO: EDIE HESS

Celebrating achievements• Five music students were honored recently. LMS senior

Eric Umble was selected to represent Pennsylvania in the2009 Music Educators National Conference (MENC) All-Eastern conference which will be held March 12-15 inProvidence, R.I. Eric will play his clarinet with a selectgroup of musicians made up of the best members from all the State bands and orchestras on the East Coast. It isthe highest honor a high schooler can receive in these competitions.

In addition, four LMS students have been selected to participate in the Pa. Music Educator Association (PMEA)District 7 music festivals this winter. Senior Tyler Landis,tenor 1, was selected for the District 7 Chorus Festival.Qualifying for the District 7 Orchestra Festival are sopho-more Dawon Suh, junior Andrea Mast, and junior DoyeonKim—all violinists. In photo at right the musicians are,seated, left to right: Andrea Mast and Dawon Suh. Standing,left to right: Doyeon Kim, Eric Umble and Tyler Landis.

• Senior Jordon Smucker, shown at right, has been awarded an athletic scholarship for baseball from Binghamton Uni-versity, a Division 1 program.

As announced in the fall issue of Bridges, Katelyn Vanderhoff has been awarded a full basketball scholarship from University of Maine, also a Division 1 school. In December, Vanderhoff reached her 1,000th career pointduring a game with Cocalico that was a 54–22 win for theBlazers. Vanderhoff is shown at far right with parentsCarol, left, and Bob Vanderhoff, along with coachSherri Gorman.

• Golf coach Deryl Denlinger, at right, wasnamed Coach of the Year for leading histeam to its fifth straight Section Threetitle and a runner-up finish in the Lan-caster-Lebanon League team competi-tion. Also under his leadership, seniorMatt Burkhart won the L-L Leaguechampionship, and son David Denlinger,also a senior, captured the PIAA title—thefirst Lancaster Countian to do so since 1988.

• Other fall sports accomplishments include the field hockeyteam being named a co-section champion, boys crosscountry winning their division championship, and boyssoccer winning their section championship.

• Students at the Kraybill, Locust Grove and New Danvillecampuses raised over $112,300 during their annual Racefor Education events, with Kraybill bringing in $90,000.The fund raiser benefits the Annual Fund.

New Danville students participate in their Race for Education eventthat was held in the fall. PHOTO: EDIE HESS

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10 BRIDGES • WINTER 2009

LMS summer day camps scheduled

Basketball

Boys basketball, grades 5–10 ................................July 20–24Girls basketball, grades 5–10 ..................................July 6–10

Field HockeyJr. high field hockey, grades 6–8............................June 8–12Sr. high field hockey, grades 9–12...................August 10–14

SoccerElem. coed soccer, grades 1–5 .............................June 15–19Jr. high boys soccer, grades 6–8 ..............................July 6–10Sr. high boys soccer, grades 9–12 ...................August 10–14

VolleyballJr. high girls volleyball, grades 6–9 .......................July 13–17

Other camp opportunities Spiritual fitness, grades 10–12.............................June 12–14Intro. to digital photography, grades 6–10 .......June 15 & 16Digital video editing, grades 6–12........................June 17–19Coed culinary arts, grades 4–9..............................July 20–24Youth Choir, grades 3–8........................................July 20–24Middle school drama, grades 6–8.........................July 27–31

Other camps being planned are lacrosse, tennis, environmental sci-ence, and language. For a brochure and application, please call(717) 299-0436, ext. 310.

Twenty ninth grade merit-based scholarships of $1,000each are available to students applying to Lancaster

Mennonite High School for the 2009-10 academic year. ThisNinth-grade Merit Scholarship will be awarded to the top 20applicants on the basis of academic excellence, exemplarycharacter, and leadership in the school, church and commu-nity. Eighth graders transferring from other schools as well as those already enrolled at LMS are encouraged to apply.

Successful applicants must have positive references fromthe principal or guidance counselor of their current schooland from a church leader such as a pastor, youth pastor orSunday School teacher.

Applicants must submit a transcript or report card, refer-ences, and an application by February 15 to Christy Horst inthe admissions office of Lancaster Mennonite High School.Scholarship applications may be obtained online at www.lan-castermennonite.org/forms or through the office of any Lan-caster Mennonite School campus.

The Ninth-grade Merit Scholarship will be awarded to thetop 20 applicants, regardless of financial need. Need-basedscholarships are also available. n

n When Jimm Derksen traveled to Asiain October, the sixth grade class at NewDanville e-mailed him with a questioneach day since he was traveling throughsome of the countries they were study-ing in social studies. When the father of sixth grader Helena Derksenreturned, he visited the class anddescribed his experiences, discussingtransportation, housing, education,crops, pets and foods, including thegrilled frogs he was served for breakfastone day. Sixth grader Kerri Ressler saidDerksen made the social studies lessonsseem more real.

n On December 19, a delegation ofeducators associated with the BeijingMunicipal Education Commission vis-ited the Lancaster Campus. Among thegroup were personnel directors, school

Scholarship available for 20 incoming ninth graders

continued on page 11

Top photo: Jimm Derksen, center, whoworks in human resources at Eastern Men-nonite Missions, visited the sixth gradeclass at New Danville to share of his experi-ences in Asia. With him are, left to right:Emily Spilker, Kerri Ressler, JonathanSchultz, Emily Rosenfeld, Mike Wanore,Micaiah Barley and Helena Derksen. PHOTO: EDIE HESS

Bottom: In December Chinese guests pre-sented Superintendent Richard Thomaswith gifts to the school.

February 22 High School Winter Concert, 3 p.m.

February 27–28 Locust Grove Drama, Cheaper by the Dozen

March 15 Beyond Ourselves Benefit Concert, 3 p.m., Fine Arts Center

March 26–27 LMMS Drama, 7 p.m.

April 2 All-School MS Fine Arts Festival, Lanc., 6:30 p.m.

April 30–May 2 HS musical, Titanic, 7:30 p.m. + 2:00 Sat. matinee

May 8 MSC MS Choir Festival Concert, Lanc., 7 p.m.

May 12 Kraybill Middle School Choral Program, 7 p.m.

May 17 High School Spring Concert, 3 p.m.

finearts

schedule

BRIDGES • WINTER 2009 11

Campus Chorale Church Schedule 2008-09February 1, 9 a.m. ...............................................................................Akron Mennonite ChurchMarch 1, 10:15 a.m. .....................................................................Ridgeview Mennonite ChurchMarch 4, 7 p.m...............................................................................Neffsville Mennonite ChurchMarch 22, 7 p.m. .........................................................................Conestoga Mennonite ChurchMarch 29, 10 a.m.............................................................................Hershey Mennonite ChurchApril 5, 8:30 & 11 a.m. ..........................................Community Mennonite Church of LancasterApril 26, 7 p.m. .............................................................................Strasburg Mennonite Church

principals, curriculum coordinators andcivil servants. Topics discussedincluded possible student or facultyexchanges, summer camps and short-term programs. The meetings providedgood opportunities for sharing aboutour Christian faith and values, as wellas our philosophy of education. Thedelegation was impressed by our schooland expressed strong interest in explor-ing a continued relationship with LMS.In January, 29 Korean educators visited,and in February 30–35 Chinese studentsand adult leaders will visit. n

continued from page 10

Eighty-six pastors and youth leadersvisited the New Danville, Locust

Grove and Lancaster campuses duringSeptember, representing Atlantic CoastConference, Lancaster Mennonite Con-ference, and numerous other local con-gregations.

At New Danville and Locust Grove,the event was an opportunity for pas-tors to pray for the new school yearwith individual classes. At Lancaster,pastors attended the high school chapel,visited classes, and ate lunch with theirstudents. The Kraybill Campus willhold a Pastors Lunch on February 18.

The goal of having pastors visit ourcampuses is to strengthen the partner-ship between church and school astogether we invite students to personalfaith, Christlike witness, peacemakingand service. n

Pastors strengthen relationships with their students

Top photo: Cheryl Hollinger, educationdirector at Forest Hills Mennonite Church,enjoys connecting with kindergarten stu-dents during the Locust Grove Pastors Day.PHOTO: REBECCA ASHLEY

Bottom photo: Pastor Jose Jimenez fromChurch of God, Lancaster, attends class witheighth grader Genesis Cubilete during thePastors Day event at the Lancaster Campus.

Mark your calendar!

LMS singers join MCCLfor benefit concert The LMS Campus Chorale, JuniorChorale, and the Mennonite Chil-drens Choir of Lancaster (MCCL)are partnering with the “BeyondOurselves” Chamber Musicians for abenefit concert Sunday, March 15, at3 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center. Theconcert will support Mennonite Cen-tral Committee and their work inColombia. The concert is free, butan offering will be received.

LMS Golf Tourna-ment, Wednesday,April 29:This year’s event at theLancaster Host GolfResort will againinclude morning andafternoon tee times.The fee of $85 per golfer includesgreens fee, cart, light food before theround, a meal afterward, andskill/door prizes. Brochures will besent in March. For more information,contact committee chair Allan Shirk,(717) 299-0436, ext. 382.

Spring auctions:Three spring auctions will provide away for families, alumni and otherfriends to support LMS students. Allproceeds will go to the Annual Fundwhich keeps tuition affordable. Theevents are as follows:

• New Danville Country Auction—April 17

• Locust Grove Chicken Barbecue and Auction—April 24

• Kraybill Benefit Auction & PigRoast—May 8 & 9

CLASS NOTES

Noah S. Martin, 1958, Johnstown,recently completed his sixth book,What to Do While You Wait For theWorld to End. The book explores thegreat expectations of many failed end-time prophecies of Christ’s return andthe end of the world. He says: “Mybook is not a dramatic portrayal of cata-clysmic events that are to come. Rather,my take is that we are always living inour end times. … My emphasis is tolive now in the presence of the Christwho has already come and allow Himto live His life through us.” Martin has

served as a pastor, teacher, and coun-selor for 40 years and is the founder and director of New Day, Inc., a Christ-ian-based faith ministry to at-risk chil-dren and youth in four locations inWestern Pennsylvania. He holdsdegrees from Eastern Mennonite Uni-versity, Eastern Baptist TheologicalSeminary, Princeton Theological Semi-nary and Lancaster Theological Semi-nary (where he received his doctorate).For more information go towww.noahsbooks.org or to the alumnisection of www.lancastermennonite.org.Noah’s book will eventually be avail-able at the Berean Bookstores in theLancaster area.

Jennifer Wenger, 1990, King, Brown-stown, earned her designation as a Cer-tified Residential Specialist (CRS), adesignation which less than four per-cent of all licensed realtors have earned.In addition, Jennifer earned her associ-ate broker’s license in 2008, and isaffiliated with RE/MAX Associates of Lancaster.

Wendell Zeiset, 1991, East Earl, hasfinished a two-year term as chief at theBald Eagle Boys Camp in ClintonCounty. The camp is an alternative edu-cational facility for teenage boys 9–16

whose behavior is out of control. Theboys live outdoors year-round, guidedby young men.

Jen Kooker, 1992, Peifer, Myersville,Md., and Krista Ebersole, 1994,Sensenig, East Petersburg, wereinducted into the Eastern Mennoniteathletics Hall of Honor on October 11.They were members of the 1995 fieldhockey team which reached the nationalCollegiate Athletics Association FinalFour. Both graduated from EMU withoutstanding career scores.

Lydia Troncale, 2002, Moscow, Rus-sia, works for Moscow ProtestantChaplaincy as the development director.The organization runs 12 social serviceprograms including two soup kitchensand several initiatives to help the largeAfrican and Afghani refugee communi-ties. Troncale graduated from EasternUniversity with a master’s in interna-tional development.

Julie Denlinger, 2005, Lancaster, wasrecently named to the Virginia SportsInformation Directors All-State Team.An All-ODAC Second Team recipient,she was named to the team after tally-ing 11 goals and eight assists for 30points. She ends her Eastern Mennonite

12 BRIDGES • WINTER 2009

1973

The Class of 1973 held their 35th classreunion in the LMS Alumni DiningHall on October 11. Fifty classmatesplus 37 spouses met for an evening ofinformal fellowship and a buffet dinner.

During sharing, classmate Bob Peter-sheim reflected on the frequently heardcomment, “You haven’t changed atbit,” and said change might not be abad thing after checking out the year-book pictures. On a more serious note,Petersheim referred to the myriad ofexperiences that classmates have expe-rienced since graduation and chal-lenged the class to hold onto the schoolmotto, “Teach Me Thy Way, O Lord.”

The evening also included a testwhere classmates and spouses tried toidentify early school pictures of class-mates and faculty members; 1970smusic that included clips from TheChoraleers, Daybreak (a local band thatinvolved three of the class’s members),and secular songs of the day; and a con-

tinuous PowerPoint slide presentationthat showed recent pictures of class-mates and their involvements today. n

For the complete report, submitted byWayne and Debbie Bechtold, and Arnoldand Esther Petersheim, go to www.lancast-ermennonite.org and click on “Alumni.”

CLA

SSRE

UN

ION

S

Class of 1973 classmates (left to right) Bob Hess, Joan Yoder Mills and Doris WitmerFahnestock visit at their class reunion that was held in Alumni Dining Hall in October.

Noah Martin. PHOTO: CHUCK MAMULA

Ramona Hurst, 2004, and Brent Mar-tin, August 23, 2008. They live inReamstown.

Jennifer Garber, 2005, and LinfordHershey, 2006, July 5, 2008. They livein Christiana.

Clinton Simmons, 2003, and ChristinaYoder, April 19, 2008. They live inNew York City.

BIRTHS

Kris and Patrick Leaman, 1988, Sink-ing Springs, a daughter, Ryan Elizabeth,November 27, 2008. She joins brothersCole and Jake.

Jonathan Bollinger, 1990, and JanBollinger-Good, 1990, Lexena, Kan.,a son, Markus Alan, December 1, 2008.He joins siblings Madeline Marie, 5,and Joel Howard, 3.

Adam and Dawn Gochnauer, 1993,Harnish, Millersville, first child,Marissa Dawn, August 7, 2008.

Tom and Rebecca Interrante, 1995,Carroll, Spring City, twin daughters,Alanah Hope and Chiara Faith, April 5,2006. Rebecca owns an entertainment

and photography company specializingin weddings.

Rodney, 1998, and Jodi Gehman,Kalona, Iowa, third child, Stella Milan,October 27, 2008, joining JacksonEugene, 4, and Alana Grace, 2.

Ranae Miller, 2001, and Ryan Wintsch,Ronks, first child, Katelyn ElizabethMiller, October 10, 2008.

Todd and Mandie Holloway, 2004,Denlinger, Lancaster, first child,Mason James, March 18, 2007; secondchild, Bayley Marie, October 14, 2008.

DEATHS

Eli Lewis Miller, Sr., 1945, Harrison-burg, Va., July 7, 2008.

Naaman L. Eberly, 1968, Lancaster,January 12, 2009.

Marianne Beth Stutzman Williams,1981, Oley, December 6, 2008, as theresult of a traffic accident.

Victoria LeAnne Heisey, 2008, Man-heim, November 12, 2008, due to com-plications of acute leukemia. n

BRIDGES • WINTER 2009 13

University career with 23 goals scored,20 assists and 66 points, placing her22nd on the all-time points list.

From January to July, JonathanSpicher, 2006, Mountville, and friendLars Akerson. are participating in an8,500-mile bike trip from Harrisonburg,Virginia, to the Global Youth Summitand Mennonite World ConferenceAssembly in Asunción, Paraguay.Working with AMIGOS (the world con-ference youth committee), BikeMove-ment Americas hopes to raise $30,000through the bike trip to help emergingyoung leaders from around the worldattend the summit in Paraguay. To fol-low the trip, go to americas.bikemove-ment.org. Spicher is a junior at EasternMennonite University.

MARRIAGES

Julie Gish, 1994, and Andrew Gingrich,May 10, 2008. They live in Lancaster.

Neal R. Martin, 1994, and Stacey Mar-tin, March 15, 2008. They live in NewHolland.

Eric M. Grosh, 2004, and LindsayZesiger, September 20, 2008. They livein Red Lion.

Alumni and other LMS friends are provid-ing leadership gifts as a way to encourage

increased giving during the Alumni Phonathonthat will be held in February and March.

According to Executive Director of Devel-opment/Alumni Relations Jeff Shank, the2009 Challenge Fund will add $2 for every $1given, as long as the total gift is increased byat least $10 over last year.

During 2008 the phonathon raised close to$160,000 for the Annual Fund which helpskeep tuition affordable and provides studentscholarships. The event played an importantrole in helping the school balance its operatingbudget.

For more information about the ChallengeFund or alumni phonathon, please call Shankat (717) 299-0436, ext. 706. n

Getting to talk with LMS alumni was a fun opportunity for students like AlannaHiller, 2008, who helped make phonathon calls last year.

Challenge fund to provide 2 for 1 match

Alumni will remember him as TedHouser, 1994, but the “thru hikers”

on the Appalachian Trail this past sum-mer knew him by Spider, the trail namegiven to him by another hiker.

From May 2 to September 2, theLMS alum hiked the entire 2,176 milesof the Appalachian Trail from Georgiato Maine. He went through 14 fourteenstates, five pairs of shoes and two back-packs.

To make the trek, the Lancaster resi-dent left his job as a manager of a tech-nology integration firm. He used thetrail as a place to prepare to transitionback to a career with non-profit organi-zations.

“I want to focus on what I do in theworld rather than on the wealth Iamass,” he said.

Houser says that the mental challengewas more difficult than the physicaleffort required to complete the journey.

“At the halfway point, I was tired of

Appalachian Trail aplace for reflection

living away from friends, family andconveniences,” he said. “It took a lot ofdiscipline to buckle down and committo another two months in the woods.”

But having family and friends meethim along the trail occasionally didhelp, he says. Several even hiked withhim for a few days. Tasha Clemmer,also an LMS graduate, joined him forone week of his four-month trek.

“Hiking with Tasha was a highlightof my trip,” he said. “It’s hard to beatthe camaraderie of old friends.” n

Ted Houser can be reached atted.houser@gmail.com or on Facebook.

Tasha Clemmer, 1993, left, and Ted Houser,1994. Clemmer teaches high school mathin New York City.

Lancaster Mennonite High School stu-dents will perform the musical version

of Titanic during the school’s 30th annualArts Festival, Thursday through Saturday,April 30–May 2. Times are 7:30 nightlyand 2 p.m. Saturday.

Called the finest and most importantmusical in over a decade, Yeston andStone’s Titanic examines the causes,conditions and characters involved inthis ever-fascinating drama. This factualstory—of her officers, crew and passen-gers—gives a porthole into the hopesand dreams of a few of the 2,200 soulswho boarded the Titanic for her maidenvoyage in 1912.

Tickets for reserved seating are $8.00for students and $10.00 for adults for allperformances except Saturday’s matineewhen they will be $1.00 less. For ticketscall (717) 299-0436, ext. 340, or sendpayment and a self-addressed envelope to LMS Musical, 2176 Lincoln HighwayEast, Lancaster, Pa., 17602. Reservedtickets need to be claimed at least 30 minutes before the performance.

Dinner Theatre The annual LMS Dinner Theatre, whichbenefits the Annual Fund, will be held

Saturday, May 2. The meal will be catered by LMS Food Services underthe direction of Dottie Weber. Tickets,at $40.00 each, include reserved seating

LMS Dinner Theatre • Saturday, May 2

Name ______________________________________________________________________________

Address_____________________________________________________________________________

Phone ______________________________________________________________________________

Number attending_____ Amount enclosed ($40 ea.) $ _______________________

Consider hosting a table of six or more. To reserve seating for a group, sendyour entire order together and list names of all persons in your party.

Food choice (indicate # of persons per entree): ___Boneless Pork Cutlet ___Stuffed Chicken Breast ___Vegetarian (call 299-0436 ext. 701)

Instructions: Return this form with payment to LMS Dinner Theatre, 2176 Lin-coln Highway East, Lancaster, PA 17602. Tickets for reserved seats will be for-warded to you upon receipt of payment. Please register by Friday, April 24.

14 BRIDGES • WINTER 2009

in the Fine Arts Center for the 7:30 per-formance of Titanic. For the best seat-ing, send order and payment today. n

Called finest and most important new American musical

5:00 appetizers5:45 dinner

in Alumni Dining Hall

7:30 musicalperformance inFine Arts Center

2009 Class reunions 1959 June 27, 20091974 July 18, 2009

For more reunion information go towww.lancastermennonite.org.

If you are a contact person for a2009 class reunion: Consider plan-ning your reunion around Home-coming 2009 which will be heldNovember 20 and 21. The weekendwill include an alumni art exhibit,alumni reception, barbecue, spe-cialty auction, basketball tournamentand the Iron Bridge Run/Walk.

Share your reunion date withExecutive Director of Development/Alumni Relations Jeff Shank at(717) 299-0436, ext. 706, orshankja@lancastermennonite.org as soon as possible. For great plan-ning tips, go to www.lancastermen-nonite.org and click on “alumni,”“class reunions,” and “informationfor reunion contact persons.”

ALUMNI FEATURE

Best things about LMSI have lifelong friendships that began atLMH, including the most important onein my life (Jeanette). In addition, Cam-pus Chorale and Choraleers were veryimportant experiences for both of us.

LMS residence hallLiving in the dorm as a senior was awonderful experience. Dick Thomaswas a great dorm advisor. I learned inthe dorm that it is much more interest-ing to live with others than it is to livealone, which has become a model formy life. The dorm was a highlight forJeanette as well (she lived in Mechan-icsburg).

Jeanette and I love ...The wide open spaces and the outdoorlife of the mountainous west. From thetime we moved to Colorado more than20 years ago, camping, hiking, bicy-cling and skiing have been an importantpart of our lives. While we live in anurban area, the recent rural history ofthis part of the country still permeatesthe pace of life and relationships. n

Growing up in southern Floridawhere Mennonites are a minority

may have a lot to do with why JerryMartin, 1977, is attracted to churchwork in areas less familiar withAnabaptists. Jerry is moderator ofMountain States Mennonite Conference(MSMC) which includes 21 churches innorthwestern Texas, New Mexico andColorado.

“As individual churches and as aconference, we are forced to define whowe are in the context of a world thatknows very little about us,” Jerry said.“It is easy to be overly dependent ontradition or generations of families whogrew up Mennonite to energize andgrow the church.

“People who don’t know the Men-nonite experience require us to examineand verbalize our faith in new and dif-ferent ways.”

As conference moderator, Martinchairs the conference Leadership Boardand works closely with ConferenceMinister Herm Weaver. Jerry says heenjoys his role of organizing their lead-ership group, helping to envision theconference’s future, and supportingHerm in his demanding task of oversee-ing 21 churches.

Jerry and his wife, Jeanette, also a1977 LMS graduate, are very active in

their home congregation, Beth-El Men-nonite Church, near their ColoradoSprings home.

“Participation in all aspects of churchlife is important to both of us,” he said.“We learned that from our parents andhave chosen it as a value for ourselves.The church needs active lay leaders.”

Jerry’s involvement in his congrega-tion has included teaching, worship

leading, choir, serv-ing as congrega-tional chair, andserving on thebuilding committee.

Jeanette hasworked as adminis-trative assistant inthe Beth-El officefor 10 years. Jerrysays she also “isone of Beth-El’swelcoming gurus”who has led thechurch’s Welcom-ing Ministry formany years.

For familyincome, Jerryworks from hishome as an inde-pendent sales representative for SauderManufacturing in Archbold, Ohio. Hecovers five states in his work—North-ern New Mexico, Colorado, Utah,Wyoming and Montana.

He received an associate degree inBible from Hesston College and a B.A.in organizational communication fromUniversity of Colorado.

Although Jerry and Jeanette met atLancaster Mennonite, it wasn’t until sixyears after graduation that they discov-ered the spark that led to their marriagein 1985. They have a daughter, Chloe (a student at Hesston College), and ason, Jacob.

Service Jerry and Jeanette taught two years inAswan, Egypt, as English as a SecondLanguage teachers and served threeyears in Amman, Jordan, as countryrepresentatives—both assignmentsunder Mennonite Central Committee.

LMS influence on church workGoing to LMH for my junior and senioryears provided an integration of faithand education that I hadn’t experiencedbefore. I think it provided a model thathas helped me balance a working careerand service as a church leader.

Church work apriority for 1977alumnus

BRIDGES • WINTER 2009 15

Jerry Martin and Jeanette Hertzler Martin, both 1977

Living in the dorm ... was awonderful experience. I learned... that it is much more interest-ing to live with others than it isto live alone, which has becomea model for my life.

- Jerry Martin, 1977

Christmas seemed to come early tothe Lancaster Campus when, on

December 2, students moved into RuttAcademic Center.

The center is named in honor ofClarence and Elva Rutt because of anaming gift that was given by their chil-dren, led by sons Clarence Jr. and John.Clarence Sr., along with some of hischildren, participated in the campusclean-up that prepared Lancaster Men-nonite High School for its opening inSeptember of 1942.

Clarence and Elva sent their sevenchildren through LMS, and Clarenceserved on the school board and later inthe maintenance department. Son Johnserved on the LMS board, Clarence onthe LMS alumni board, and the follow-ing as faculty members: daughter JoyceRutt Eby, son-in-law Charles Longe-necker, and grandchildren C.J. Rutt andLynn Longenecker. Grandson RogerRutt serves on the school board, andmany grandchildren are LMS alumni.

We celebrate the involvement of thisfamily in the life of the school and theircommitment to the difference made bya Christian education. We celebrate thesacrifice Clarence and Elva made to paytuition for their seven children and theirvision that this was a way to secure

their children’s futures. In many ways Clarence and Elva are

heroes of faith, a story that continues toinspire others to support Christ-cen-tered education. Clarence and Elva didnot set out to have a building named forthem; they simply were faithful to whatthey believed God was calling them todo. They became witnesses to God'sfaithfulness as they took seriously the“first great commission” to pass onfaith to our sons and daughters. TheRutt Academic Center will serve as areminder of that Christian faithfulness.

It has been said that we shape ourbuildings and then they shape us. Thetechnology included in the center willhelp faculty communicate concepts andempower students to discover knowl-edge through work in science labs.

We believe the green aspects of thebuilding will call all of us to more fullyfollow the biblical command to bestewards of all creation and that thecenter’s gathering areas will build com-munity among students and betweenstudents and staff.

The Rutt Academic Center is a signa-ture structure that communicates aca-demic strength in a holistic settingwhere faith is both caught and taught.In these challenging times, Lancaster

Mennonite School exists as a missionalcenter of the church, serving the greaterLancaster area. For the new facility,which enhances that service, we thankthe Rutt family who provided a naminggift, Calvin and Janet High who pro-vided a matching gift that took us togroundbreaking, and the many otherfriends who helped us complete fundingfor the center. Most of all, we praiseGod who sustains us in this vision andjourney in Christian education. To Godbe the glory.—jrt

Non-ProfitU.S. Postage

PAIDLancaster, PA

Permit No. 2802176 Lincoln Highway EastLancaster, PA 17602

Centered in Christ • Transforming Lives • Changing our World

from

the

supe

rint

ende

nt Center a reminder of Christian faithfulness

J. Richard Thomas

Parents: If this is addressed to a son or daughterwho has established a separate residence, pleasegive us the new address. Call (717) 299-0436, ext.701, or e-mail sprungerdl@lancastermennonite.org.

POSTMASTER: Time Sensitive Material. Requested in Home Dates Jan. 23 - Jan. 27