S am's Spotlight
Let's celebrate as a CCS family!

May, 2017
Blessings, CCS families!  The purpose of "Sam's Spotlight" is to communicate the noteworthy accomplishments of our students and staff, so we can celebrate as a CCS family.  

If you have praiseworthy news items to share with the Cincinnati Christian Schools family that involve either CCS students and/or staff, please email 
Leah Murphy 
at  leah.murphy@cincinnatichristian.org.

SPECIAL THANKS to Kim Smith who started this life-sharing resource & to Rachel Porter for taking the time to review and edit every issue. 
 
The Anticipated Cappies
 
The Importance of Being Earnest was the Cappies show for the CCS 2016-2017 theatre season. Since it was performed in the Fall, the students eagerly awaited the rest of the school year for the results of their peers' critiques. The nominations were finally posted, and the following actors were recognized for their performances. 
Best Comic Actress, Bernadette Beacham
Best Comic Actor, Aaron Dong
Best Supporting Actress, Merrick Heid
Best Supporting Actor, Luke Schlake
Best Lead Actress, Brooklyn Allison
Best Lead Actor, Joshua May
Best Play, The Importance of Being Earnest
The 2017 Cappies Gala was held on May 27, and two of our students took home awards in their category. Bernadette Beacham received Best Comic Actress, which was quite a victory for her senior year and great way to honor her last show at CCS. Luke Schlake rightfully deserved Best Supporting Actor for the dedication he put into his character. Mr. Beaver was honored and received the "Founding Advisor Award" for sixteen years of dedicated service to the Cappies.  Congratulations, Bernadette and Luke for stellar work and to the whole cast and crew for this wonderful recognition of your passion, skill, and devotion to a hard, yet beautifully done classic piece of theatre! The arts truly shine at CCS! 
 
Career Day  
 
Career Day at CCS was an opportunity for junior high and high school students to visit with and talk to professionals in a wide variety of careers. There were 50 professionals in attendance, consisting of parents, alumni, and friends. They ranged in fields of engineering to law and from business to worship ministry. The goal was for students to learn about the daily routines and responsibilities of professionals in the fields of work they are interested in pursuing. Another goal was for students to understand the education necessary, both in high school and college, to pursue these specific careers. Senior Josh May enjoyed the opportunity and said, "It is important to see what everyday life is going to be in a career. Our classes don't prepare us for that."High school students had the opportunity to choose which professionals to visit during four unique and specialized 30-minute sessions. Junior high students chose from wider fields of interest, such as medicine, information technology, or design. This allowed them the opportunity to start considering which big picture areas might interest them in the future so they can plan their high school course schedule accordingly. It was a very insightful day, catered to all the options these students have in front of them as they continue to explore, study, and grow. 
 
Senior Art Showcase
 
CCS Art Department Seniors annually put on their Senior Art Showcase.  This on-campus event is a special way to publicly exhibit their art. All art mediums are usually represented (painting, drawing, photography, fashion, sculpture, 3D, jewelry, etc.) Poetry and musical arts expression have even debuted at these events!  
This year, a  judge evaluated each student's body of artwork and awarded 1st through 6th place. 
1. Hannah Ferguson
2. Hannah Hockney
3. Payton Keiner
4. Bella Collins
5. Serenity McCardle
6. Mallory Custer
Congratulations, students! CCS has certainly been blessed with some talented artists! 
 
Visita de Béisbol
 
In March and April, Señora Heid's fifth and sixth grade Spanish classes  studied a unit on Béisbol in Venezuela , a book by Henry Horenstein, which highlights the baseball experiences of a 10-year-old boy named Hubaldo and of Venezuelan baseball. To bring that experience to life, they visited GABP May 4th to speak with a Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher, Dominican LHP Wandy Peralta, and the Venezuelan team interpreter and former minor leaguer Juan Morillo.  The students asked questions about their interests and background and had fun learning about their childhood games of "chapitas." Students who stayed, watched the Reds beat the Pirates 4-2. Go Reds! 
 
A Perfect Game 
 
Senior Zachary Bush pitched a perfect game at senior night on April 28, making school history. Out of his 81 total pitches, he pitched 14 strike outs. There were no hits, no errors, and no walks. Bush said about the game and experience, "It was electric."  
He and fellow teammate Alec Gregory were interviewed on WMOH along with Coach Moak about the incredible game. Alec was the catcher for the game and did a great job as well. Mr. Gillens said, "It takes the catcher and the pitcher to be on the same page to have such a game, along with the other guys." There were three plays where there could have been a hit, but the team played good defense behind Zach at the mound. Congratulations on an incredible game, boys! What a victory! 
 
Students or Teachers?  

Three of our senior high teachers have received a Master's degree in their content area in the last year.

Michelle Edwards earned a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from Miami University in July of 2016, in cooperation with the Ohio Writing Project. 
Gina Smearsoll earned her Master of Arts (MA) in Biology from Miami University in December of 2016 through the Project Dragonfly program. As part of her program, she traveled to Costa Rica for a course on neotropical ecology. She also became our first College Credit Plus teacher in the subject of Science, serving as an adjunct instructor this year with Sinclair College. Next year, she will serve as an adjunct instructor with Cincinnati State Technical and Community College to offer the biology courses here at CCS.
Jesse Holthus earned his Master of Arts (MA) in History from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. His areas of specialization were 19th century American and 20th century European history. He is our College Credit Plus instructor here at CCS as an adjunct instructor with Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, teaching a two-semester college course in American History.

 
Teacher Published in 
Peer-Reviewed Journal  

Gina Smearsoll recently had an article published in the April/May 2017 issue of The Science Teacher magazine, the official magazine of the National Science Teachers Association for high school teachers. The article, titled "Students as Environmental Educators," describes a special program her honors biology students from the junior class conducted. It was aimed at preschoolers in Fairfield, teaching them about pollution in the Mill Creek and how the pollution can affect living organisms like "Fred the Fish." 
The article started as a paper for a graduate school course, but was then edited and submitted for consideration in The Science Teacher through their online peer-review process. After several edits and reviews, the article was accepted for publication. She was asked to create a brief introductory video about the article for inclusion as a link in the digital version of the magazine. The entire process took three months. Congratulations, Mrs. Smearsoll for this incredible recognition!  

 
Scholarship Recipient 

Senior Brady Roberts was honored for receiving the Joe Nuxhall Scholarship at a luncheon on Monday, May 8, with the other Butler county high school senior recipients. Brady wrote an essay, earning him the next round of an interview. He answered questions about his family, his friendships, and his values. To receive the scholarship, he had to display leadership, perform acts of community service, participate in extracurriculars and athletics while also demonstrating strong academics. Congratulations, Brady, for working hard and having a strong character! 

 
Alumna Spreading Hope 

Lindsey Payne (nee Mead), class of 2011, and her husband Zach have recently started their journey as Missionary Associates in Brussels, Belgium. Lindsey and Zach are working with Assemblies of God World Missions and Convoy of Hope Europe, a nonprofit organization that specializes in disaster relief, community outreach, and their special Adopt-A-Community program. In communities all over Europe, they are feeding those who have been dealt a bad lot in life. In short, Convoy of Hope Europe shows God's love and spreads hope to places that have long forgotten what hope is. Click here to find out more information!
 
Superior Singing 

On Friday, May 12, both the Jr. High and Sr. High Choirs participated in the Kings Island Festival of Music. The Festival of Music consists of local choirs singing two selections. Three adjudicators rate each performance. It's been a while since our choirs have participated in a festival, and never before have they competed in a public festival such as this. Both CCS choirs received a Superior Rating, which was the highest rating they could have achieved. Congratulations, singers!  
 
 
 
If you have praiseworthy news items to share with the Cincinnati Christian Schools family that involve either CCS students and/or staff, please email it to
Leah Murphy at leah.murphy@cincinnatichristian.org.