February 21, 2008

A Very Good Basketball Season is Drawing to a Close

• High school boys  Last night at North Clackamas Christian near Portland, our varsity team lost by 3 points to close their post season play. Congratulations to these boys and their coaches, Howard Main and Darren Hemmer! It was great to be that close to a team that some people have projected as having a good shot at the State Championship. 
  • NEXT YEAR!
• Middle school boys  You may have noticed in an earlier “Wire”, the middle school boys had a fantastic season.
• High school girls  We are pleased with the great foundation work laid with our high school girls. Their win/loss record disappointed them, but they: 1) doubled the number of players who came out and stayed the season, 2) gained a year of essential experience, 3) ended the season with a good deal of noticeable satisfaction that they were learning and progressing.
• Middle school girls  The middle school girls’ teams are still in a great season with their last games next week. COME watch their home games on Wednesday (4:00 p.m. and 5:15 p.m.), and Friday (4:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m.). Two basketball refs have recently commented that New Hope home games this year have been the best spectator supported games in this county.
• THANKS to those who:
  • supported the new gym floor project
  • provided our athletes with new uniforms, posters, etc.
  • participated in our winter sport as a New Hope athlete
  • coached, assistant coached, kept scores, washed uniforms, served food, set up,

      cleaned up, etc.

Track Season Is Now Upon Us

Practices each day, 3:20 to about 5:00 p.m.

We have more coaches lined up than ever before. Most schools in our league struggle with only 2-6 coaches. New Hope has 12 track coaches, 4 full-time and 8 part-time, BUT, for a top program, there is still great need for more assistance! 58 levels of events must be covered: 17 events each for high school boys and girls and 12 events each for middle school boys and girls.

Five Extremely High Goals – Is it possible for:

• all 6 relay teams to be in the 1^st 3 places at the District Meets?  The high school boys have placed either 1^st or 2^nd in both relays at the District Championships for the last 4 years! We’d like to do it again this year as well as have similar successes with the girls’ teams and middle school boys’ teams.
• the middle school boys to repeat as District Champs?
• the middle school girls to move up to 2^nd or 3^rd in the District Championships? 
• the high school girls’ team to make a repeat of the 2004 District Champions?  More girls are needed to participate.
• the high school boys to continue as District Champions for the 5^th year in a row, and a repeat of 2^nd place in the State Championships?

Academic Challenge

Finally, after several snow day cancellations, the Academic Challenge match with Mazama High School took place. The wait was worth it as New Hope won 270-260.  

ACSI District Spelling Bee Results

1st grade          Megan Pritchett, 10^th place  

                        Jacob Dryden, 11^th place

2nd grade         Caleb Parker, 2^nd place

                        Justin Estes, 14^th place

3rd grade         Casey Ross, 12^th place

                        Caleb Moore, 5^th place

4th grade          Ben Shields, 1^st place

                        Tianna Bowman, 16^th place

5th grade          Bryanna Moore, 3^rd place

                        Charity Schmidt, 18^th place

6th grade          James Akinleye, 6^th place

                        Baylee Hill, 3^rd place

7th grade          Ariana Cooper, 7^th place

                        Connor Lauffenburger, 6^th place

8th grade          Cristian Padilla, 1^st place

                        Jacob Lundgren, 3^rd place

Cristian Padilla also placed 1^st in the run-off and will advance to the Regional Spelling Bee held in Vancouver, Washington, on March 14, 2008. Great job, Cristian!!!

Update regarding Edgewater and the New Hope campus

• Last week a New Hope planning committee met with Edgewater’s Pastor Matt Heverly. At that meeting, Pastor Matt very graciously informed us that Edgewater was feeling led to pursue other options than the explored option of joining us in use of the New Hope campus.
• We feel blessed that they considered this an option, and we are thankful for the relationship that has been built through several meetings with this group of great believers.
• May the Lord bless Edgewater Christian Fellowship as they pursue the location that is best for their church, and may the blessings of the Lord enable New Hope Christian Schools to continue improving this campus to be a more fully used place of ministry.

Do We Have Parents Who Want to Run This Year’s Elementary Track Day?

This has been an annual event for 21 years, but this year we need new blood to run it. Contact the office if you are one of several parents who might want to step forward for this task.