Final Wingspan 23 PDF

WINGSPAN Summer 2023 Leaving a Legacy Grove City Christian School 1 Preparing students to be Christian leaders who impact their world.

SUPERINTENDENT David Arrell EDITOR Hannah Williams EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Amy Sullivan BUSINESS MANAGER Angi McClish ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL David Muschott INTERMEDIATE & MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL Debbie Edwards HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL Jim McMillan ATHLETIC DIRECTOR Brian Leland DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING Hannah Williams DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS/ALUMNI Daphne Schall www.grovecitychristian.org www.facebook.com/gccseagles Twitter: @gccs_eagles Instagram: @gccs_eagles www.youtube.com/grovecitychristianschool 2 WINGSPAN Magazine | Summer 2023 |

Welcome to our online magazine! Join us in praising the Lord! God has blessed Grove City Christian School in so many ways. He is good, all of the time. In this edition, we will highlight the many ways in which our students and faculty demonstrate a Christ-like character through acts of service and love for others. The Grove City Christian School principals, Mr. David Muschott, Ms. Debbie Edwards and Mr. Jim McMillan, share impactful moments that have left a lasting impression on the student body and Grove City community. This special Wing- span features our 2023 graduates. Their resilience and leadership is highlight- ed. We have shared information from our GCCS alumni and this year’s World Changer, Aaron Whitaker, Class of 2015. Additionally, we worked on achieving our re-accreditation with ACSI and Cog- nia. This edition celebrates Grove City Christian School’s full-term, six-year, renewal of our accreditation! As you know, my time at Grove City Christian School has drawn to a close. As I reflect on the last nine years, I am flooded with memories of students and their families. I am reminded of student achievements but also of their grit and deter- mination to keep moving forward. It has been rewarding to see so many living out their faith and making an impact for Christ in their spheres of influence. We pray that God will bless Grove City Christian School and The Naz Church. Thank you for your support and partnership. May God continue the great work of transforming lives for His glory for generations until He returns! Soli Deo Gloria, David J. Arrell Superintendent Grove City Christian School 3

Leaving a Legacy Mrs. Conant Mr. Conant Mr. Sergio Loving God and Loving Others Jim McMillan High School Principal 4 WINGSPAN Magazine | Summer 2023 |

This year, the high school students demonstrated their love for God and for others in a variety of ways. Three of those areas being highlighted include the student led weekly prayer time and monthly worship event, entitled “The Well”. The other events which focused on reaching out- side the halls of our school was the “Senior Prom” conducted by the National Honor Society and the Jazz Band performing a concert. Members of the senior class felt called to initiate a weekly prayer time before school on Friday mornings. As the year progressed the number of students in attendance grew. The students spent time in prayer, wrote notes of encouragement for their classmates and took time to pray over student lockers. During this time of prayer, the students were called to expand worship and fellowship which led to a monthly worship time. The name given to the weekly prayer time was “The Well”. When the students felt the need to establish a more intentional worship time, they approached Mr. McMillan with the idea. With school administration’s support, the student led worship time began meeting monthly in vari- ous locations and times on the campus. Like the weekly prayer time, the monthly worship ser- vice grew as the school year progressed. Although the Well was established by mostly seniors, a strong group of underclassmen have taken on the mission to not only continue this ministry but have hopes to expand it. On a Saturday in May, the members of the Grove City Christian National Honor Society held a “Senior Prom” at the Carriage Court Assisted Living Facility. GCCS students enjoyed dec- orating, painting nails and styling hair for the residents. The prom consisted of food, dancing, an Elvis impersonator, a photo booth, and the crowning of a king and queen. Both the students and the residents enjoyed the day and special memories were made by everyone. Students shared that although the day was a lot of work, they were very blessed to have the opportunity to interact with the seniors and see their smiles as they enjoyed the dance. The GCCS Jazz Band, under the direction of band director, Phil Claassen, shared their musical gifts and talents with the residents of the Homestead Village Senior Living Center. The seniors enjoyed the music, and students expressed how grateful they were for the chance to perform and interact with the seniors. This was a great opportunity to express and demonstrate the love of Jesus through music. 5

Middle School Grove City Christian School’s middle school students were Students Make given a challenge at the beginning of the calendar year. As a an Impact part of their J-Term (January term) activities, students partic- ipated in an ACSI student leadership program culminating Debbie Edwards in an assignment, an Impact Project. Much like the men in Intermediate and Middle School Principal Mark 2: 1-12 who went out of their way to help their friend get close to Jesus to be healed, students were asked to identi- fy an area of need and to seek to meet that need. After discussing a variety of needs ranging from within our student body, in the surrounding community, and farther reaching needs in other parts of the world, students began planning how they could make an impact. Students submit- ted proposals, outlining plans for their Impact Project and began to make arrangements to serve either individually or in small groups. Throughout the semester, students learned necessary skills in project planning, time management and collaboration and communication, as they worked to carry out their proposals. GCCS middle school students made an impact in the follow- ing areas: - Meet needs for foster families and young moms - Sent letters of appreciation to veterans at a VA clinic - Encouraged classmates with encouraging notes and posters displaying positive messages & scripture - Served in children’s ministry at church - Picked up trash around the school, parks, and in neighbor- hoods - Wrote notes to GCCS seniors - Donated supplies to a sober living program 6 WINGSPAN Magazine | Summer 2023 |

- Refereed Upward basketball games - Participated in a walk-a-thon fundraiser for the Life Pregnancy Center in Washington Courthouse Students reflected on their experience in a final submission, sharing not only the impact the project had on others, but on themselves. Many students plan to continue serving in the area they chose, and some have already done so. Students realized that in honoring the Lord by giving of yourself, you often receive a greater blessing than those you serve. Students commented, “This experience made me feel like I was contributing to something larger than myself. Also, I have understood, better than ever, that I need to work toward preserving the ‘sanctity of life’ for all indi- viduals, not just the pre-born.” - Eli L. “By doing this project, I am showing Jesus through my actions and letting His light shine through my actions.” - Gracie R “The goal of the project was to help someone who has nothing, or no hope to receive the hope of Christ and get to know him.” - Pablo “It’s not hard to make an impact; the challenge is time management.” - Chloe “I can apply having an even more grateful attitude towards what I own and what I don’t. Seeing the homeless and seeing how blessed we are is actually pretty crazy to think about. God has blessed me and my family more than I could ever imagine.” - Grayson K. “It made me feel good and powerful, especially making an impact being a young girl. I believe others felt em- powered that they can make a difference too.” - Bella N. “I think we should take care of God’s creation, because I saw a lot of trash and realized that we don’t take very good care of nature. So I will make better everyday decisions to take care of this earth God has given us.” - Hud- son “It made me feel like I am so fortunate to have what I have and I need to be grateful for what I have and I felt like others felt the same way about the whole experience.” - Mikaylah “It made me super happy! This one lady, Eileen, was super happy and wants us to visit often!” - Alaina “We can be like Jesus in a way that we don’t need others’ attention to do good deeds; we just need to do it for the glory of God.” - Eli D. 7

The Love Meet Mrs. Gray - of God for I have been teaching all my adult life in one Each of Us capacity or another. After college, I substituted in two different districts before landing my first Spotlight on First Grade full-time job teaching second grade in Colum- Three Teacahers, 60 Students, bus. I homeschooled my children kindergarten One Focus through high school and went back to subbing with the intention of working one day each week David Muschott to help cover homeschool expenses. One thing Elementary Principal led to another and through the Lord’s leading, I found myself at GCCS subbing for a year. This 8 WINGSPAN Magazine | Summer 2023 | was followed by taking on a full-time position in first grade in 2018. This is my fifth-year teaching first grade at GCCS. My husband Matthew and I will celebrate our 28th wedding anniversary in June and we have two adult children. Madeline graduated from Grace College and currently works at Hobby Lobby in Grove City. Braden is serving as an intern at Skyview Ranch Camp in Millersburg, Ohio.

My absolute favorite night of the year is open house. I love to see friends reunite after being apart all summer and I love the excitement in the air as students anticipate the year ahead. My best advice to parents of first grade students is to get connected with your student’s teacher, check in on Class Dojo for updates and read the newsletter to stay informed. I would also highly recommend carving out time every evening to read to and with your student. A few minutes of reading together will instill a love for books and reading and make a huge difference in a student’s progress. (Note – Mrs. Gray will be moving into administration at GCCS next as our K-8 Assistant Principal. We are so excited to see all what Mrs. Gray will do next year!) Meet Mrs. Baker - I have been teaching for 6 years (7 counting the year of being a long-term sub) This is my 5th year teach- ing at GCCS. I have a wonderful family. My husband Tim works at Nationwide Insurance. This August, we will be married for 12 years. Lydia is 9 years old, next year will be a 4th grader and Jude 8 years old, 3rd grader. We have attended The Naz since we were first married in 2011. My favorite time of the school year would be the beginning of the year! I am always excited to decorate my room, clean everything so it is a nice place to learn! Then, I am so excited to meet my new class! My students will always be special to me, so it is fun to get to know each other and build friendships! The best piece of advice to 1st grade parents would be to spend time with your children, turn off technology and read with them. First grade is a critical year to learn to read. Studies show several positive effects of reading. Reading helps with memory, imagination, empathy, relaxation, and many more great side effects! Help your child have a great start to their education! I look forward to getting to know each family I will have next year! Meet Mrs. Johnson - I have been in the teaching profession for 15 years; five of those have been here at GCCS. My husband Chad and I have 5 children, two of them go to GCCS, the other three have “grown and flown”. We spend a lot of our time at sporting events, as our two youngest like to play a variety of sports. When not at sports, we enjoy our family dinners once a month when all five children come home to spend time together and connect. It is hard for me to pinpoint my favorite time of the school year. I enjoy each of the nine weeks differently. The beginning of the year is always so exciting and new. It is wonderful to meet new students and start the year getting to know new families. The second and third nine weeks comes with holiday cel- ebrations and activities to share as a class. This is also when we really get deep into teaching subjects and students make the most growth in their learning, both academically and spiritually. The fourth nine weeks is always bitter-sweet, as we get to celebrate all the growth that students have achieved but have to begin to say goodbye as a class family as students are ready to move on to second grade. My advice I would give a first-grade parent besides, have your child get plenty of sleep, play more board games than electronics and read with your child daily, would be to understand that the elementary years go by quickly, and spending quality time with your children is one of the most important things you can do to help your child during the elementary years. Life will get busy, and you will have to make the choice to set something else “im- portant” aside to spend that time with your child. Don’t let this world rob you of the joyful part of being a parent. 9

Senior Spotlights GCCS Senior Achieves STEM Honors Diploma Grove City Christian School announces its first STEM Honors Diploma. Casma Mussi dedicated her passion to achieving this high honor. The STEM Honors Diploma recognizes students with a high level of scientific and academic study. This award focuses on STEM- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. She has expanded her knowledge in scientific studies. Over the years, Casma has engaged in extensive STEM research. Mussi plans to attend the University of Cincinnati to study Aerospace Engineering with a focus on Astro- nautics. This field entails the design of rockets and the evaluation of propulsion techniques. Casma hopes to find an alternative to hydrogen gas usage in rockets by utilizing other propulsion techniques. Congratulations to Casma Mussi. Her hard work and willingness to pursue her dreams is inspirational. Senior Luke McCoy is Accepted Into Colorado Springs Air Force After much preparation and determination, Luke McCoy was accepted into the Air Force! He will report on June 28, 2023. Luke looks forward to being pushed and seeing the many opportunities to come. He plans to study Aerospace Engineering and hopes to become a flight test engineer one day. Our thoughts and prayers are with Luke as he steps into this new chapter of his life. 10 WINGSPAN Magazine | Summer 2023 |

Construction is almost complete on our 8,300 square foot addition. It is an exciting time in the life of Grove City Christian School. The new addition will house the math department, an enlarged band room and work areas for our academic support program. This roughly $2,000,000 project will be ready for students beginning the 2022-23 school year. The building is located to the east of the high school building as it will house primarily high school courses. This project enables space to be re-pur- posed in the rest of the building for growth in other grade levels. Of special note regarding the façade of the building is the placement of the windows on three sides. The windows are notes on a music staff that convey the tune for which the lyrics are “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”We want to be intentional about communicating this truth to the students and visitors on our campus. 11119

GROVE CITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION Dear Naz Family, I want to take a moment to thank those of you who trust The Naz family with your children. Whether through the Naz KDZ Early Childhood or Elementary ministries, Grove City Christian Childcare, Grove City Christian School, Naz YTH preteen, Middle, and High School ministries, Sports & Upward ministries, we don’t take our partnership lightly. As we finish the school year and celebrate your children’s milestones, we also want to take a moment to thank another very special person who is experiencing a graduation of sorts - Mr. David Arrell. Mr. Arrell’s influence has spanned from the littlest infants in Grove City Christian Childcare, through the graduating seniors and world-changing alumni of Grove City Christian School. He was an instrumental part of the initiation and management work of our ministry preparation tracks through Ohio Christian University and Nazarene Bible College here on campus. Additionally, David has been a part of our Ministry Leadership Team here at The Naz, offering insight and detail to enhance the coordination of ministry on our very busy campus. It is not surprising that Mr. Arrell has been utilized over the past number of years by the Association of Christian Schools International and the Ohio Christian Education Network for his expertise on accreditation, educational choice, and speaking in support of Christian education in the state of Ohio. Mr. Arrell will be departing our ranks to now assist in the leadership of the Ohio Christian Education Network to help churches and communities start Christian schools in Ohio. This next year he will be working with three schools that are kicking off the 2023-2024 school year, and 10+ schools that will prepare for kickoff in 2024-2025. We are honored that he and his wife Lori will remain a part of The Naz community where Lori will continue to teach at GCCS. They will also remain active in their small group here at The Naz Church. While not an exhaustive list of his impact and influence, here are a few highlights: CHILDCARE MOVE – From our Columbus Street Campus to providing all services at the Hoover Road Campus, providing a better connection to the resources and services of The Naz. DISCOVERY KINDERGARTEN – This program started within the school as a more rigorous preparation for entry into GCCS. Through staff training at Grove City Christian Childcare (GCCC), this program is now offered through childcare, strengthening the ties between GCCC and GCCS. HIGH SCHOOL ADDITION – The new high school addition, which has included four new classrooms, a band room (opening two additional new classrooms), and six office suites for guidance and intervention, increasing our capacity to 825 students in grades K-12. TORNADO – The immediate response of the athletic teams and after-school programs at both the school and childcare was phenomenal, and the ability to be flexible through the repair and reconstruction phases on the building while continuing to give excellence in education. 1122 WWIINNGGSSPPAANNMMagaagzaizniene| S| uSmummmeerr22002223| w| ww.grovecitychristian.org

COVID-19 PANDEMIC – One of the few schools to remain open to instruction through the pandemic, Mr. Arrell worked hard in partnership with church, school, and childcare to make sure we utilized consistent protocols for our campus throughout the pandemic. ACCREDITATION (TWICE) – When Mr. Arrell came nine years ago, accreditation had been discussed, and preliminary steps had been taken to explore this avenue. He led us through our initial accreditation (five years ago) and most recently a re-accreditation, achieving a full six- year accreditation term. Both accreditation cycles thus far have granted dual accreditation through ACSI and Cognia (formerly AdvancED). CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT PROCESSES SPIRITUAL CULTURE UNITY BETWEEN THE MINISTRIES OF THE NAZ – This accrediting body visits many schools like ours and made special note of the strong relationships and unity in the use of buildings, staff, and ministry opportunities. ENROLLMENT INCREASE – From an enrollment in the mid 600s upon his arrival, through the ups and downs of both pre and post pandemic education, we’re now prepared to enter the 2023- 2024 school year at or slightly over capacity of 825 students with waiting lists already in many of the grades. David Arrell has left an indelible impression here at The Naz. Scripture encourages us to give honor where honor is due. This past Sunday, we honored Mr. Arrell during and after services. We would love to invite you to participate in honoring Mr. Arrell and his family as well. Your cards, emails, gift cards, texts, and in-person words of gratitude will mean the world to him. Please drop off your cards at The Naz, GCCC, GCCS or mail your cards to the address below by Friday, June 9. We will ensure that anything arriving after June 9 is delivered to Mr. Arrell. If you would like to help create a lasting legacy in Mr. Arrell's honor, we invite you to join us in giving a financial gift to the “Dave Arrell Impact Fund,” which will help fund future growth through new facilities and scholarships for students at GCCC and GCCS. You can make your gift by check or online. Scan the QR Code to be directed to the giving page. On the drop-down menu select Dave Arrell Impact Fund. Checks can be made to Grove City Christian Childcare, Grove City Christian School, or The Naz Church. In the memo, please write “Dave Arrell Impact Fund”. We thank you for taking a moment to honor Mr. Arrell. Your words of encouragement and thanks will be so meaningful to him, as will your generous support to help further the mission of The Naz, GCCC and GCCS. Thank you! THE NAZ CHURCH · 4770 HOOVER RD., GROVE CITY OH 43123 · 614.875.2551 · [email protected] ·THENAZ.CHURCH 13

World Changer Aaron Whitaker, Class of 2015 Aaron Whitaker is a 2015 graduate of GCCS. While in high school, Aaron was a two-sport athlete, playing 4 years of basketball and 2 years of football. He also served as basketball team captain during his senior year. He was a leader among his peers. Aaron graduated from the Univer- sity of Cincinnati in 2019. During his time at UC, the Lord showed Aaron the blessing of a strategic mission field, the college campus, and he began serving with the H2O ministry. There was such a need for the Gospel and H2O had such an impact to change the world with the message of God’s Word. Aaron has always had a love of family, God, friends, and sports. He has always been faithful to those around him and would truly help anyone in need. But deep within, there was an incredible transformation to live for Jesus with such intention. Aaron’s heart is to engage the world around him with the Gospel, to see people encounter the living God and come to a saving faith. He has a deep desire to disciple others through direct campus ministry. Aaron is our 2023 GCCS World Changer because he has dedicated himself to a life of ministry and displays passion and compassion to share the Gospel. He is also a leader for Christ that is changing the world one college student at a time. Not only is Aaron sharing the Gospel, but he is train- ing others to do the same, including returning to his alma mater (GCCS) each of the last three years to challenge high school seniors. After serving with H2O Cincinnati for three years, Aaron is currently on staff at H2O Buffalo (NY) as a Campus Missionary, changing lives every day. GCCS would love to stay in contact with our alumnus. Please send updated contact information to Daphne Schall at [email protected]. We love hearing stories of how our students are changing the world for Christ. 14 14W INWGSINPAGNSPMAaNgaMziangeaz| iSnuem| mSuemr 2m0e2r32|023 |

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Grove City Christian School Accreditation Join us in praising the Lord! God has blessed us in so many ways. He is good, all of the time. As you know, we have been working on our re-accreditation process with ACSI and Cognia. Many of you responded to surveys or meeting requests during the self-study phase as well as the on-site visit. The visiting team reviewed our report and met with students, faculty, staff, parents, Education Committee members, and Advisory Board members here at The Naz. 16 WINGSPAN Magazine | Summer 2023 |

We are pleased to announce that the visiting team voted to recommend us for a full-term, six-year, renewal of our ac- creditation. The vis- iting team will final- ize their report and send it to the ACSI Central Division’s East Accreditation Commission, who will review it and vote on it early this month. There is a working agreement with ACSI and Cognia that once ACSI approves the accreditation of a school then Cog- nia will reciprocate approval, too. The visiting team gave us a short list of areas to sharpen in the coming years as we continue to improve how we serve our students and their families. The topics on the list include security, professional development, and the revision of the Expected Student Outcomes, all of which were previously established as priorities for continuous improvement. Our staff at the school and church worked hard for over a year to prepare for this visit. We thank God for them and their leadership. Thank you for your partnership in Kingdom education for the glory of God our Father! 17

Scholarships & Awards 18 WINGSPAN Magazine | Summer 2023 |

Grove CCitlyasCshorfis2t0ia2n3School Class of 2023 19

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Upcoming Events August 2023 August 15 New Family and Kindergarten Orientation August 17 Grades 7-12 School Information Night August 21 Grades 1-6 School Information Night August 23 Begin 2023-2024 - 1st 9 weeks September 2023 September 4 No School- Labor Day September 25 No School- Professional Development September 26 No School- Professional Development September 29 Grandparents’ Day September 30 Homecoming Game Grove City Christian School is a ministry of the Grove City Church of the Nazarene and is accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and Cognia.