Welcome to Inside SCS: an update of happenings at Sarasota Christian School featuring news, special events, and student, faculty and alumni spotlights!
TWO TRACKS, ONE GOAL
SCS is proud to announce the addition of the "Blazer Honors Diploma" as a new option for high school students.
Beginning this fall with the class of 2022, students will be able to choose between earning a traditional high school diploma or a "Blazer Honors Diploma". While both tracks are academically sound and appropriate for college preparedness, the honors alternative is for students seeking a higher level of academic rigor. High School Principal Jim Hill says, "Offering two distinct tracks not only give more options to our students, it also allows us to better prepare them for the specific plans they have for their futures. Their success is our goal." Mr. Hill offers a wealth of experience in this area as SCS will be the third school in which he has begun such a program.

Traditional SCS Diploma


  • Bible (3 credits)
(4 credits in 2023)
  • English (4 credits)
  • Math (4 credits)
  • Science (3 credits)
  • Social Studies (3 credits)
  • Foreign Language
(2 credits)
  • Physical Education / Health (1 credit)
  • Fine Arts (1 credit)
  • Electives (6 credits)
(5 credits in 2023)
Blazer Honors Diploma
(the following is in addition to the Traditional Diploma requirements)

  • Minimum GPA: 3.5 (cumulative)
  • National Honor Society Membership required
  • Math: 4 credits with two honors courses or one AP course
  • Science: 4 credits including one advanced level science
  • Foreign Language: 3 credits of same language
  • Minimum of 2 AP courses of student’s choice
62nd Festival & Auction Success
This year's event raised $157,120* for Sarasota Christian School!

That figure includes the funds from the inspirational "Stock the Studios" paddle raise for our new "Innovation and Technology Studios". Special thanks to all of the event sponsors, vendors, donors and guests.

*gross amount
The 62nd Annual Festival & Auction upheld a treasured tradition while supporting the school's future at the same time. Hundreds of supporters came out to bid, eat, play and more!
THE FUTURE IS NOW
The new Upper Elementary Building is now in full use.
January 5th, 2021 brought a fresh start in a brand new learning space for over 100 students at Sarasota Christian School. It also was the day a long awaited dream came true. The recently completed Upper Elementary Building opened its doors marking a new era in SCS history.
According to 4th grade teacher, Rachael Kinsch, the highly anticipated project has exceeded expectations,"The new building is more than I had hoped for. It's beautiful and super functional as well. Everything we need is at our fingertips". Best of all, Mrs. Kinsch reports, "The students are loving it!". The new eight-classroom building is now home to the 2nd through 5th grades.
Details about the formal dedication of this building will be coming soon!
SCS Student Spotlights
Jaena Shamp's skills on the basketball court have her enjoying national recognition as a recently named "McDonald's All American Nominee". This honor is reserved for the top high school basketball players in the United States and Canada. Mr. Jim Hill (H.S. Principal/A.D.) says, "Jaena has received a tremendous award recognizing her as one of the top senior basketball players in the State of Florida, which makes her one of the top seniors across America. I am proud to have coached her this year, she was a tremendous leader and player for the Lady Blazers. God has great plans for Jaena, her talent is great on and off the court!"
Everything is "coming up roses" for 8th-grader Caroline Merandi. Caroline's green thumb and scientific mind earned her top honors in this year's Sarasota County Regional Science Fair, in the Plant Science Division. Caroline's 1st-place-winning experiment focused on the effects of various types of fertilizer on plant growth. Mrs. Mollie Schloneger (M.S. Science Teacher) had this to say about the project, "Caroline was clear and detailed in her scientific process, which blew the judges away. The real life applications of her project caused it to stick out above others at the regional science fair."
Junior Adam Bassil received the Player of the Year nod from the Florida Athletics Coaches Association for District 16-2A, and with good reason. He not only averaged 15 points and 5 rebounds per game, he is also ranked in the top 20 in the FHSAA for hitting 3-pointers. Coach Kevin Bruinsma credits Bassil's hard work between seasons for his success and went on to say, “I’m excited for Adam to continue to grow and have a stand-out senior season”.

#SCSGettingBetterandBetter
Now that the Upper Elementary Building is completed, another campus improvement project has begun. Take a sneak peek at the progress being made on the new SCS Lecture Hall (formerly temporary elementary classrooms). This space is outfitted with: stadium seating for upwards of 80 people, wifi, two interactive-display projectors with integrated speaker system and microphones and four whiteboards ready for collaborative brainstorming. The Lecture Hall will be used for staff, small group and class meetings as well as for guest speakers, drama rehearsals and more.
School is not so "ruff" with this four-legged friend!
There's a brand new face around campus and it's covered in fur! Introducing the latest addition to the SCS family - Lil' Blaze. This sweet Double Doodle puppy has been making herself at "home" as a Blazer and making lots of friends along the way!.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT:
SEAN AND MICHELLE WALSH ('17)

We now turn our "alumni spotlight' on a couple who found each other while they were middle school students at SCS.

Sean and Michelle (Galletin) Walsh ('17) have begun a life of service and success and credit the education and influence they received at Sarasota Christian School with making a huge impact in their lives. Find out more about how they are serving the kingdom while using their talents and about their experiences being SCS Blazers below.

How did you meet each other?
We met in 8th grade at SCS! We started dating our junior year of high school.
What has changed about each of you since then?
I think we’ve both matured a lot since 8th grade, particularly spiritually. We’ve grown to take theology more seriously and to learn more about our faith for ourselves.

What is one of your favorite memories from attending SCS?
We both did drama while at SCS and the plays are some of our favorite memories. One that stands out is “The Family Nobody Wanted”, when Amos broke a chair on stage. That was hilarious.
What did you do after SCS?
We both attended Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA and graduated in May of 2020. Sean graduated with a Bachelors in Pastoral Leadership and Michelle graduated with a Bachelors in Graphic Design. We were both involved in RUF (Reformed University Fellowship - the PCA’s college ministry) at Liberty, and Sean now works as an RUF intern at Samford University in Birmingham, AL. He works with college students and leads Bible studies for them, while also taking seminary classes online at RTS (Reformed Theological Seminary). Michelle works as a Content Marketer doing graphic design, social media, and email marketing for a Birmingham based consumer electronics startup called Fledging. She also does freelance graphic design projects on the side.

How did an SCS education help prepare you for college/career?
We both took a few AP courses at SCS, and studying for those tests helped to prepare us for the more intense workload of college. Sean particularly had to write a lot of essays in college for his major, and writing classes with Mr. Kaiser helped to prepare him a lot for that. For Michelle, her career now as a designer is based on creativity, and being in Odyssey of the Mind really helped her to learn creative thinking skills she uses every day. She actually got the job she has now because they asked her to share something unique she has done creatively, and she told them about a dress she made out of UNO cards for Odyssey. They said that was the best answer they’ve ever gotten.

What advice do you have for current SCS students?
We would say to focus on building relationships with your teachers! They are such valuable resources, and we are still in touch with a few of our SCS teachers and often can ask for advice, check in, and see how they’re doing. Teachers can have a huge influence on your life and you can learn so much from them!
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT:
MRS. CASSIE THORESEN
Writing lesson plans, changing diapers and completing graduate-level projects are all part of a typical day for Mrs. Cassandra Thoresen.

The 1st-grade teacher and new mom to Caleb is also currently pursuing her Master's Degree in Reading Instruction from the University of South Florida. It is her hope that this new degree will not only help her to become a better teacher, but will also in turn help her students to become better readers and writers.
1st Grade Teacher, Mrs. Cassie Thoresen
Helping students succeed is a big part of why she enjoys teaching. "I love watching a student who has struggled with something get it. You see the excitement and understanding on their face." Mrs. Thoresen has been igniting that excitement in her students for the past 8 years at Sarasota Christian School, a place she is particuarly fond of. She says, " I love working here at SCS because I get to talk about God everyday. I get to pray with my students and show them how to love others. I also love the community feeling on campus. I know that if I need anything there is someone there to listen or help."

Mrs, Thoresen admits that with such a busy schedule, sometime a little help is needed. That's where her secret weapons come in handy, "A great husband (Jake) who helps out a ton and understands if I need to come in a little early or stay a little late, great family and friends who help when I need to get homework done and one planner with all important dates so I don't miss a thing." Thanks to Mrs. Thoresen's hard work and dedication, her students won't be missing a thing either!