A PUBLICATION OF SBEC SOUTHERN BAPTIST EDUCATIONAL CENTER • 2013 Contents Celebration of 40 Years During the 2012-2013 academic year, several events helped celebrate the 40th anniversary of the School News .......................... 3 founding of SBEC. Every student received a limited edition cup at the start of the school year. Five alumni from different decades opened each school day with prayer during the first week of school and all alumni School of Service .................. 10 were invited to attend special receptions before the fall football games. Technology News ................ 15 6 Arts ...................................... 18 12 Elementary News ................ 26 High School News ............... 30 Amy (Hodges) Allison (Bland) Callison Hopkins '10 Athletic News ....................... 37 Moffet '99 17 Darby '79 Melayne (Stewart) Craig Daniel '04 Jarnagin '83 PTSF News ........................... 41 For the 40th year Homecoming festivities at SBEC, Alumni News ....................... 42 alumni choir members joined the current choir to sing the National Anthem before the football game against Bishop 24 Development News .............. 50 Byrne. Alumnae Whitney Hale ’02, left and Hillary Hale ’05, stand behind Jed Hale ’01 and Wes Hale ’05. Mission Statement 28 As a Christ-centered college preparatory school, SBEC enables our students to: • know and honor Jesus Christ • grow in knowledge and wisdom • reach their God-given potential. Vision Statement As we passionately pursue our mission, we believe the following vision will be achieved: SBEC will be a leader in distinctive Christian education by providing an excellent educational environment that honors Christ, nurtures people, and instills 36 within our students a Biblical worldview, a love for learning, and a heart to know God and fulfill His plan for their life. 39 (Proverbs 29:18, Habakkuk 2:2-3, 2 Corinthians 4:18) President: David H. Manley • Board of Trustees: Mr. Jerry D. Barton, Mr. Jerry Cherry, Mr. Shawn Clayton, Mr. W. W. DeBerry, Dr. Tim Fleming, Mr. Tim Lampley, Dr. Dan Mueller, Mr. Joseph “Joey” Sullivan, Dr. Debbie Wadsworth, and Mr. Howard Locke – Advisory Board Member Photography: Stroud Photography • Publisher: Dukes Photography + Design, Michelle Dukes ‘87, Greg Dukes • Director of Development: George Carnall SBEC SCHOOL ACCREDITED BY ACSI & SACS WWW.SBECTROJANS.COM Banners, signs, and displays were visible throughout the school. 2 33 40 Years of God’s Faithfulness Brother Bobby Moore Paul E. Young Royce Agerter the completed facilities, and Memphis Board of Education gave SBEC a million dollars in of the generosity of the Homer Skelton Foundation. In January hroughout oversaw the first graduating advance and allowed the school to continue to use the build- 2006, the school dedicated an academic facility with 12 class- T the history of SBEC, class in 1974 that consisted ing for two years rent-free while the current facility was under rooms together with a band suite. Two years later, in February the faithfulness of the of 24 students. construction. 2008, a new high school gymnasium was dedicated to the glory Lord has been quite As the school continued The current facility is located on 61 spacious acres in of God. The gym has side-by-side full court practice space, two evident. On April to grow, it began to face not DeSoto County. The new school opened its doors in September separate weight rooms, and a turf room for inside practice ses- 12, 1972, men from only a financial crisis, but 1988 with 600 students and has grown to an average of 1,100 sions. The latest addition to the campus is a full weight train- ten Southern Baptist also a philosophical and students in Pre-Kindergarten (K-3) through the twelfth grade. ing facility that, through the generosity of several parents and churches (Boulevard, leadership crisis as well. In In 2004, four lighted tennis courts were added as a result friends of the school, was dedicated in May, 2011. Broadway, Graceland, November of 1978, Broadway Havenview, Hickory Hills, Baptist Church, under the leadership of Pastor Bobby Moore, LaBelle Haven, stepped forward and assumed total responsibility for the Going Forward LaBelle Place, Trinity, Westhaven, and Whitehaven) met at a school. In the fall of 1979, Paul E. Young became president of As many of you are aware, we are in the process of selecting a new name for the school. We have noted several times during this local restaurant to discuss a vision for a Christian school in the school. Together with Brother Bobby, Mr. Young changed year, that change can be exciting and change can be difficult, and this potential name change has been met with much excitement. At the Whitehaven, Tennessee, community. An organizational the direction of the school from an emphasis solely on aca- the same time, there is an endearment to the name “SBEC” that has served the school for so many meeting was held, and a Christian school, later to be named demics to one that expanded that high academic emphasis to years. Yet, as the committee of alumni, community, church, school board leaders, faculty, and a stu- Southern Baptist Educational Center (SBEC), was conceived. include an integration of the Bible into the classroom. Essen- dent have walked through the process and sought the Lord’s guidance, it is believed that they will Serious discussions ensued, and later in 1972, thirty-six acres tially, he birthed a philosophy of distinctive Christian educa- be recommending a name that best positions the school for the future. at the corner of Holmes and Tulane in Memphis, Tennessee, tion at the school. SBEC has experienced change before and has bettered itself as a result. We changed the lo- cation of the school from Tennessee to Mississippi, the athletic conferences and associations twice, were purchased for the site of the school. A corporate charter During the early 1980s, the community where the school was granted to the churches on June 27, 1972. On April 1, the school logos several times, the wording of the mission statement, the dress code, and even the was located was undergoing significant change. The area was grading scale, just to name a few; and each experience has enhanced the school. Though change is 1973, groundbreaking ceremonies were conducted on the site losing professionals as well as families who could afford to something that is not always embraced, we believe that we will also look back at the change of the and construction commenced in May. While the school was send their children to SBEC. As the enrollment began to drop, name of the school and say that we are better positioned for the future. We are excited regarding being built, the elementary students used Broadway Baptist the school leadership began to look for property in DeSoto what the coming years have in store for SBEC. Church's facilities in Whitehaven, and the high school classes County to relocate the school. SBEC's current site on Getwell Please know that regardless of the change that we encounter, we are committed to making sure the mission, vision, and heart of the school remain constant. That means met in the facilities at Graceland Baptist Church. Royce Agert- Road was purchased in 1986, and the former facility in er was named the first headmaster, organized the move to the school will always have as its primary purpose to bring honor to the Lord Jesus Christ, who Memphis was sold to the Memphis City School system. The remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. David Manley 4 5 High ACT Test Scores Seventeen students had composite scores of 30 or higher on all sections of recent ACT Tests. The ACT Test is a college entrance and placement exam. Colleges use the ACT test scores as Pastors listen to Tony Manley an important part of the admissions process. In commenting on the number of students who received the exemplary scores, high school guidance counselor Mark Laster said, “It is a high honor to have seventeen young men and women achieve a composite score of at least 30 on the ACT. It is a testimony to the students, their families, and our faculty.” The seventeen students who received a composite score of at least 30 on the ACT are back row from left Banks Carlisle, Jared Ufferman, Kever Lewis, Ben Wadsworth, fourth row, Jeremy Sorel, Will Tober- mann, Will Nowell, third row Abby Johnson, Kelsey Davis, Kassie Russom, second row Hudson Chenault, Katherine Mims, Ben Barber, first row Katie Sprayberry, Katie Quinlan, and Candice Walker. Wil Hudson was not pictured. National Merit Finalist and National Pastors listen to chamber choir Achievement Finalist Senior Jeremy Sorel was named not only a National Merit Finalist, but also a National Achievement Local Pastors Gather for Finalist. Approximately 16,000 of the more than 1.5 million juniors across the nation who took the 40th Anniversary Appreciation Brunch National Merit Qualifying Test, also known as the PSAT, in 2012 were recognized as semifinalists. Jeremy continued in the competition by taking the SAT, submitting an essay, and preparing a resume of his Thanks to invitations delivered by students, 60 present could not have been more hospitable. I am especially school and community involvement. As a result, he was named a Finalist. Further, he was one of only two pastors gathered at SBEC for the 40th Anniversary Pastors’ grateful for the “gift card” given to each pastor. students in the State of Mississippi to be named a National Achievement Finalist. While Jeremy excelled Appreciation Brunch. The sixth grade choir and the high We have two students at SBEC, and they speak very highly Jeremy Sorel academically at SBEC, he also participated in varied activities at the school. school chamber choir beautifully sang two spirituals, and the of the educational and spiritual climate there.