Minnehaha Magazine Minnehaha Academy Integrating Christian Faith and Learning Since 1913

MINNEHAHA MAGAZINE MINNEHAHA ACADEMY INTEGRATING CHRISTIAN FAITH AND LEARNING SINCE 1913 SPRING 2014 MINNEHAHA ACADEMY MAGAZINE SPRING 2014 CONTENTS 16 4 8 4 Cultivating Potential at Minnehaha A look at Minnehaha’s Core Value, Cultiving Potential. 14 22 8 Minnehaha’s project on the International Space IN EVERY ISSUE Station For the second year in 3 President’s Letter a row, students send an 8 Learning 10 experiment into outer space! 14 Sports 16 Around the School 10 Madrigal Dinner 19 Faculty Profile One of our most beloved 20 Inspired We Soar traditions – the Madrigal Dinner transformed the school 22 Alumni Profiles building. 24 Alumni News 31 Calendar Cover photo: Students in Minnehaha’s International Space Station Program intently review their experiment. 2 MINNEHAHA MAGAZINE SPRING 2014 Proclaimed throughout the Scriptures, God’s greatness is visible in His majestic creation, His great love for us through the gift of His Son, and His supremacy over our world. We must also CORE VALUES humbly recognize that God Psalm 145: 3-6 declares: chooses to reveal His greatness Great is the LORD and most CULTIVATING POTENTIAL through us, as we become worthy of praise; his greatness followers of Him. God’s no one can fathom. greatness in us breaks through One generation commends A few weeks ago, I joined our our shackles of arrogance and your works to another; third-grade students to share egotism, fulfilling His plan as they tell of your mighty acts. with them my understanding of we become a blessing to those They speak of the glorious Minnehaha’s “core values.” The around us. splendor of your majesty— children had been discussing At Minnehaha, as we and I will meditate on your this topic in school and at cultivate student potential, we wonderful works. home. As is often the case, begin by opening the door to They tell of the power of your I was especially inspired by their God’s greatness. If our students’ awesome works— and I will expressions as they interpreted eyes are open to His proclaim your great deeds. our core values. One precocious magnificence, they see more youngster raised his hand readily their own capacity for Blessings, enthusiastically, announcing that achievement as God works “cultivating potential,” meant personally through them. “opening the door to greatness.” I pray that all Minnehaha His moving reflection touched students will know that God Donna Harris, Ed.D. my heart. My eyes brimmed holds them in the palm of His with tears as I recognized the hand, has created them in greatness of God evident in that His image for a special purpose, classroom through the wisdom and will guide them to of those precious children. greatness through His Spirit. SPRING 2014 MINNEHAHA MAGAZINE 3 MINNEHAHA ACADEMY CORE VALUES DISTINCTIVELY CHRISTIAN We encourage one another to become authentic followers of Jesus Christ. EXCEPTIONAL ACADEMICS We pursue truth and excellence in all educational experiences. CARING COMMUNITY We share a unity that is based on care for one another rather than conformity. CULTIVATING& POTENTIAL We help each person discover and develop his or her unique gifts and talents. In our last issue we featured Minnehaha’s caring community—we hear, time and again: “It’s the community that makes us who we are.” Beyond our abundant offerings and our dedicated faculty and staff, at the core of the MA caring community is the readiness to cultivate every student’s potential in athletics, academics, arts and other activities. Perhaps because of our small size—and certainly because of our Christian commitment—students can count on support from the Minnehaha faculty, staff and friends who stand ready to help them. Karen Benson, a Minnehaha parent, eloquently voiced this conviction: Our daughter, Olivia, has had the opportunity to participate in the Madrigal dinner, jazz band, pep band, pit orchestras, honor bands, and more. She has taken on leadership roles because the seeds of confidence and leadership were planted by her band directors, who saw her potential and nurtured that in her. They continue to offer opportunities for challenges and growth, and that kind of support and encouragement is a gift our daughter will carry with her “for her whole life. 4 MINNEHAHA MAGAZINE SPRING 2014 ” THE PROPER NOURISHMENT FOR GROWTH, AND THE CHALLENGE TO HARD WORK WITHIN A LOVING AND TRUsting ENVIRONMENT, HELPS UNLOCK THE GIFT OF STUDENT POTENTIAL. — DONNA HARRIS, MINNEHAHA PRESIDENT WHY CULTIVATE POTENTIAL? spiritual beings. And, believing that learning is a lifelong It is our duty. God has designed each of us as unique process, Minnehaha endeavors to provide tools and beings, and through His Spirit and Word, He plants His excitement for learning throughout life. seeds of greatness—our potential—within us. President Donna Harris considers our students’ futures to be a HOW WE CULTIVATE POTENTIAL serious obligation: We begin at the beginning! As a preK—12 school, At Minnehaha Academy, we cultivate our students’ Minnehaha Academy has a continuity of experience with “potential because God requires it of us. Our students students through their formative educational years, from need our unfailing affirmation to assist them in taking day one to graduation. We monitor students’ progress hold of the possibilities and the imaginable for their year after year, sharing relevant information to help lives. The proper nourishment for growth, and the students succeed as they ascend through the grades. challenge to hard work within a loving and trusting This occurs even in the very youngest classrooms, as environment, helps unlock the gift of their potential. our Lower and Middle School Principal, Karen Balmer, ” affirmed. “One of the best and most important things we As articulated in Minnehaha’s Philosophy of Education, we can do is to help students discover the gifts and strengths believe the task of education is one shared by the school, that God has given them,” she said. “Of course, this the church, and the home. The curriculum assimilates relates to our academics, and to challenging students to the obligations normally given to public schools by the achieve at their highest potential, and it also relates to state, as well as the responsibilities given to the school by activities and opportunities beyond the classroom.” the church. We believe in the development of the whole At both campuses, students are challenged with child. We seek to involve students individually and opportunities to explore their God-given gifts: helping corporately in meaningful activities. This commitment in Chapel through prayers, drama, or singing; leading enables our students to develop, both dynamically and and serving peers through RACERS and Student Council; creatively, as intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and participating in Jazz Band, sports teams, History Day Club, SPRING 2014 MINNEHAHA MAGAZINE 5 Moving on to the higher grades, Upper School Vice Principal Mike Dinardo treats students as uniquely gifted, creatively thinking individuals. He said, “We actually try to prepare them for failure as well as success, but most importantly—we tell them about God’s love for them.” Providing a safe and supportive environment to try new things is important. Encouraging students to do their best in whatever they choose, and having accomplished teachers who provide feedback and guidance along the way, is important too. Minnehaha emphasizes the importance of having a strong moral compass to understand one’s purpose and be at one’s best. Dinardo said, “This is what makes our school unique. Anyone can teach good academics and focus on character development. But helping our students to see the bigger picture of why they exist, and what they can do to make an impact in this world, is unique.” Math Masters, and more. One of the best things about a school of Minnehaha’s size is a student’s ability to try out The Upper School teachers reinforce Dinardo’s position. for a sport or a play—and likely be accepted in both. Upper School science teacher Nancy Cripe knows the challenges of developing older students’ talents, and she Principal Balmer underscored the significance of being takes this on enthusiastically: able to provide challenges for every age: I find and develop my students’ potential by listening, Providing these opportunities is part of our holistic “ observing, recognizing their interests, abilities, “view of students, and of our commitment to helping passions, concerns, and aspirations. Then I try to them develop and mature academically, spiritually, inspire students to expand those interests. I seek out physically, socially, and emotionally. We have a rare challenges and advanced opportunities for students and wonderful opportunity at Minnehaha to engage and encourage students to use their God-given gifts our students on all of these levels. It is a joy and to bring healing and restoration to the broken places privilege to see our students flourish both inside and in their world. outside of the classroom! ” ” Minnehaha senior Penelope Anema appreciates her Minnehaha parent Ellen Ruiters recognizes what a gift it is extraordinary efforts: for students to receive this kind of encompassing support When I was a sophomore, Mrs. Cripe heard that I was through their school years. She praised her daughter’s “interested in biology and invited me to tour the U of M third-grade teacher, Mary Jo Severson: cardio lab, Even though I had not yet taken one of Mayah loves to sing—she knows the lyrics to countless her classes, she challenged me with this invitation, “songs. However, memorizing math facts does not which spurred my desire to learn more about come so easily. Mrs. Severson noticed her frustration, biomedical engineering. and found math facts set to music! It is evident that ” Mrs. Severson cares deeply about her students, and As part of Cripe’s attempts to find new inspiration for her desire is for all of her students to be successful students, she and colleague Sam Terfa have developed in school and life.

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