EMS ExpressionsN O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7V O L U M E 6 , I S S U E 3

Fall FunFall is here! The leaves are falling, and the temperature is

dropping. With fall comes Thanksgiving, a wonderful time to bethankful for friends and for the plentiful crops which God hasprovided. It is also the time when StuCo has a fall festival and firstgrade hosts their Thanksgiving Tea.

The Thanksgiving Tea is an event that first grade holds everyyear. What all takes place at this event? To start it off, the parents andgrandparents were invited to the first grade room where they took timeto talk with their child orgrandchild. Shortly afterall the guests arrived, thestudents held a letter andsaid what they werethankful for that startswith that letter.Following theperformance, they had ashort prayer for the snackof iced tea, lemonade,and a variety of cookies.While the parents were enjoying the snack, the first graders went tothe front of the room, sang some songs, read a poem about colors, andexpressed how thankful they are for them. As the event was coming toan end, all the visitors traced their hands on colored paper to make abig hand turkey.

That evening, StuCo invited the secondary students to theirfall festival. The festival began with friends and classmates hangingaround a huge bonfire. Shortly after when everyone had arrived, therewas a prayer for the snack that was provided. Once everyone was full

of food and drink,the high school andmiddle school weredivided into groups,and the gamesbegan. The highschoolers playedUltimate Frisbee andthe middle schoolersplayed FlyingDutchman. Aftersome time the twogroups switched

games. When the games ended, there were hayrides, a pie eatingcontest, corn hole games, and fresh kettle corn. The winner of the pieeating contest was Tyler Heisey, who took home a prize of $20. Theseevents concluded the planned part of the evening. Thanks to StuCo forthe well-planned evening! The students spent the remainder as freetime.

-Bradly Zimmerman

E M S E X P R E S S I O N S

On the weekend of November 3rd and 4th,Fairview Christian School held their annual volleyballtournament. This was the tournament’s 10th anniversary.Schools from near and far were invited including EphrataMennonite and Faith Mennonite High. Also invited wereschools from out of the area, namely Hartville Christian,Central Christian, Gospel Haven, Mountain View Christian,and Maranatha Christian. Each of these schools sent theirbest, and the best were recognized with trophies and medalsfor All-star, Best Hitter, Best Setter, and MVP. AlthoughEphrata finished in 8th place, we fought hard and played ourbest. We grew closer together as a team through hardplaying and constructive encouragement. Despite the losses,we had a very enjoyable time bonding together asteammates and companions! On Friday evening of thetournament, we proved good competition in our matchesagainst Central and Faith. As a result of those losses, wemoved to the consolationgame against MaranathaChristian School. After aclose game, ouropponents prevailed, butwe all played an excellentfinal game! The girls onthe volleyball team put ina lot of work outside ofschool individually and asa team in preparation for this tournament. We are so gratefulto Fairview Christian School for allowing us to compete inpast years and in the future! Many memories andworthwhile friendships were made as a result of thevigorous practice and individual dedication of each memberof the team.

From my experience as a member of the volleyballteam throughout the years, I have gained valuableknowledge and skill, but most importantly, I learned how tobe a useful member of a team. Through playing andinteracting with a team, you are able to achieve not onlyincreased personal skill but the ability to play in a way thatbenefits the team as a whole. Without a team, many sportswould not be as enjoyable or competitive. Beyond gainingmore skill or a hunger for personal victory, being on thevolleyball team with some wonderful, encouraging girls hasoverwhelmed me with a sense of camaraderie amongblossoming friendships in which lifelong relationships willcontinue to grow and impact my life.

-Jenna Stauffer

Comrades inCompetition

P AGE 1

P A G E 2

E D I T O R I A LE D I T O R I A L The Power of Prayer

Report Card ReactionsH U M O R

E M S E X P R E S S I O N S

Students respond in different ways when report cards are given out. Which one are you?

-Tonya Rutt

Someone once said, “God speaks to those who take time to listen, and listens to those who take time to pray.”Here at Ephrata Mennonite School, we strive to be citizens of the Kingdom of God by exercising our privilege of prayerand supplication to God. Extraordinary, law-defying miracles can happen when a believer faithfully prays to God. Thestudents and school patrons of Ephrata Mennonite School have taken different opportunities to put to use the privilege ofprayer.

This year for the first time, StuCo has introduced a new student activity called Prayer Groups. For thoseinterested, the high school students were encouraged to volunteer to be part of a group. The volunteers were split up intogroups of about four or five with one group leader. The students gather together outside of school or before school startsand take time to pray for various events or prayer requests from the school. The purpose of Prayer Groups is not only toencourage prayer, but also to promote community and brotherhood among the students. The impact that these PrayerGroups are making on the rest of the student body is a beautiful representation of what it means to be a citizen of theKingdom of God by encouraging and supporting one another through obedience to His Word.

For over 25 years, a consistently expanding group of mothers to EMS students has gathered to come before Godin prayer. These Moms In Prayer take time out of their schedules to meet twice a month. The willingness and strong beliefin the power of prayer that each of these ladies demonstrates undoubtedly impacts many aspects of life here at school. Thevast number of answered prayers on the behalf of the school over the years shows the divine capability of God’s power inthe lives of His children who dedicate time to request of Him. As students and faculty at EMS, we wish to extend ourgratitude to all the ladies who have been associated with Moms In Prayer throughout the years. Your selfless, anonymousprayer has blessed so many lives and does not go unnoticed!

As a result of the mentioned and countless other anonymous acts of prayer, many associated with EphrataMennonite School have been blessed beyond measure. Without the constant support of fellow believers, our school wouldnot be where it is today. As a student who has witnessed many answered prayers throughout the course of my education atEMS, I am very grateful to be part of such an encouraging and supportive institution. The cultivation of such amagnanimous and amicable community can only be achieved through diligent prayer and encouragement of one another.“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.” 1 Timothy 2:1

-Jenna Stauffer

FIELD TRIPS Discovering D.C.

Showing Off Our Sophomores

On October 26th, the freshman class here at EMS ventured off onthe first field trip of their high school lives. They would spend the next twodays trekking the streets of Washington, D.C. where they would see theamazing wonders of our nation’s capital along with hundreds of other touristsin the city. They left from school to start their adventure around 8:30 onThursday morning as they drove to D.C. after a short stop at McDonald’salong the way. When they arrived at their destination, they started touring thecity, despite having to brave the cold weather. They visited some excitingattractions including the Jefferson Memorial, the Holocaust Museum,Washington Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and the White House. Some of theclass’s favorite places they visited were the Holocaust Museum and TrumpTower. After visiting all these historic and fascinating places, they worked upquite an appetite and were very happy to enjoy a meal at a Chinese restaurantfor supper. After their scrumptious dinner they continued taking in all the sights the city had to offer. They venturedaround the streets for a couple of hours and eventually made it to the church where they spent the night. They had some

time to hang out before they went to bed, so they had group devotions andplayed a couple games of basketball.

After their much needed night of rest, they woke up eager to startthe new day and continue exploring the city. After a very appetizingbreakfast, they continued to visit more places including the Library ofCongress, the National History Museum, Arlington Cemetery, and theSupreme Court in session. After seeing all these tourist attractions in thebig city, they packed everything up and headed toward the little town ofEphrata again. They safely arrived home around 8:00 Friday evening. Allin all, I believe it is safe to say that all of the 9th graders loved this fieldtrip and had a lot of fun getting to be with their classmates outside of

school. This trip brought many fun memories, laughs, and pictures that they will not forget for a long time.

-Ashley Shirk

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

On any given morning before the morning bell, there isbound to be a young man enthusiastically bumping, setting, orspiking a volleyball. This man is Jeremy Weaver, a sophomoreand new student at EMS, who was previously homeschooled.Jeremy has various responsibilities, such as mucking out hisneighbor’s stalls, and many other chores that come with theirhorse farm. Through multiple mission experiences in the past,Jeremy is being prepared for God’s calling on his life. Jeremywould love to become a professional volleyball player where hewould share God’s love and counsel his teammates. Thispassion for witnessing was developed when he lived in Accra,Ghana, for 5 years when he was young.While in Ghana, he would hand outtracts to the people on the streets. Jeremyis heavily influenced by the life of Noahand his dedication to God’s instructions.Jeremy would also love to start aprogram where children of all ages couldcome and openly share their thoughts.Jeremy himself loves having deep, heart-to-heart conversations with people. He is looking forward totraveling to Thailand with his brother this winter to support hismissionary friends over there.

To say that someone is enthusiastic about something,the statement must first be backed up with evidence. DerekMartin can be described as enthusiastic about God’s word,sharing his faith, and basketball. The evidence for this is foundby examining Derek’s life.Derek is heavily involved in hischurch. He attends their youthgroup’s weekly Mondayevening Bible studies and alsoleads worship at their youthservices. He is passionate abouthis faith and reaching peoplewith the gospel. Derek is anavid basketball player as well,participating in a game whenever possible. When he isn’t busywith school and church, Derek enjoys many hobbies such asplaying sports, listening to music, and hunting. This pastsummer Derek helped his grandpa frame up his cabin. Thisgained experience will not go to waste. After Derek graduateshe plans to do wood framing for a man from his church whoowns a construction company.

-Dylan Martin E M S E X P R E S S I O N S P A G E 3

Every Class Has One

CONTINUING STORY

P A G E 4 E M S E X P R E S S I O N S

Due to Parent-Teacher Conferences and Thanksgiving break,during the month of November we had a total of 4 half days. As studentswe were more than grateful to have these afternoons all to ourselves todo a variety of things. We as Student Newspaper were curious whatstudents do on their half days and scoured the halls to find out exactlywhat happens during these beloved half days. Here’s what we found:

Rachelle Wantz (12th): HomeworkJenna Stauffer (11th): Stay home and play with my cat

Elijah Masciantonio (12th): Go home, eat, and watch NetflixKara Martin (12th): Go out for lunch with fr iends and clean out and

wash my carJosh Wenger (10th): Go to McDonald’s

Cali Shirk (3rd): I enjoy the snacks that our bus dr iver gives usevery half day.

Half Day HappeningsINTERVIEW

PHOTO GALLERY

Student Artists

I N S I D E T H E C L A S S R O O M

Sharing Jesus in Jamaica

P A G E 5

Turkey Tracks

MISSIONS TRIPS

Once that barn door was left open just a crack there was no stopping the fattened turkey. Henry, the turkey, had neverrun so fast! Across fields of corn he ran until he stumbled upon a large parking lot and a school titled Ephrata MennoniteSchool. With the farmer hot on his heels and nowhere to turn, he ran straight through the legs of Mr. Good and up the crowdedstairway. Even though Henry had rid himself of the pursuing farmer, Mr. Good was after him and gaining fast! With a surge ofadrenaline Henry jumped onto Madeline's backpack and rode swiftly into the 4th grade room. Once inside, he slipped silentlyoff her backpack and behind the coats hanging along the side of the room. After 10 minutes of listening to the excited fourthgraders talk about the upcoming math test, they all began to line up for Wednesday morning chapel. Finally feeling a bit ofsafety, Henry began to scour the room for something to do. In the midst of his search, he discovered a large white tub full ofplush pillows to rest his weary body. Snuggled in deep he had quickly fallen asleep when suddenly the room became alivewith the start of reading class.

“Reading class? I never did learn to read, and I’ve always wanted to read about this Thanksgiving that I hear somuch about,” Henry thought to himself.

So with that, Henry decided to peek his head above the rim of the tub to hear about compound nouns. “Is that aturkey?” screamed JoElla from the desk closest to the tub. Henry knew he had been found and was no longer welcome inreading class. With the loudest squawk a turkey can muster, he shrieked and once again ran for the open door. Down the hall,down the stairs, and with a hard right he dashed into Miss Martin’s English class. Luckily there was no class in the room forthat period, and Miss Martin was upstairs making copies. Seeking refuge and knowing that a cracked door meant good things,Henry ducked into the yellow doored closet only to be tripped by something fuzzy!

“A blanket,” Henry mumbled angrily to himself, “who keeps blankets in their school closet?”This was no place for a turkey to spend the day, so Henry headed out with caution at the forefront of his mind.

Sneakily he slipped down the hall to the kindergarten room where he could hear water trickling.“Visitor! Visitor! We have a visitor! What to do with a visitor?” shouted an ecstatic voice from the fish tank.“Fish! My, how different school is from what I imagined it would be!” Henry exclaimed.“Don’t mind them. They have very short memories,” a wise sounding voice proclaimed from the back of the room.The small turtle, who lived a simple lifestyle in a small glass cage at the back of the room, had much to share with

Henry. He told him of all the letters in the alphabet and even how they stuck together to make words. Voices approached, andHenry knew it was time to find a door to the outside. Taking the biggest risk yet, he dashed through the kindergarten roomdoor and sprinted up the stairs. The UPS man with his boxes piled high had no idea that the newly educated turkey had justescaped the school.

-Tonya Rutt

E M S E X P R E S S I O N S

Another mission trip that took place this summer was the Cornerstone Mennonite Fellowship youth group’s trip toJamaica. From EMS, Aleina Martin, Lauren Martin, and Miss Ronica Weaver had the privilege of being a part of this experience.Aleina gave us a glimpse of what life was like for the week and what all they did.

“It was very early on August 12, 2017. The Cornerstone Mennonite Fellowshipyouth group was gathered at church awaiting a long day of traveling. We arrived in Mobay,Jamaica, and started our very long and scary three hour van ride to the little church wherewe would be leading our youth rally for the week.

We were staying at the Christ Ambassadors Church in Ballards Valley. During theday the ladies would take turns helping with the meals, doing wash, cleaning the house, andpreparing snack for the youth in the evening. Around four each afternoon, the youth wouldstart to arrive and play volleyball. Following that, we enjoyed a meal with the youthprepared by the Jamaican church ladies. After the meal we would kick off the rally evening with some minute-to-win-it gamesfollowed by singing and either a speaker or a movie of some sort.

After a long week of fun and encouraging times with the Jamaicans, it was good to arrive home late on August 21,2017. One of the things that I learned from this experience is that just becausepeople are not the same color or race as me does not mean that they don’t dealwith the exact same things as I do.” Lauren said that one of her favorite thingswas just to spend time experiencing the new culture since this was her first timeout of the country. Another thing that she loved was getting to know andbecoming friends with the Jamaicans.Miss Ronica also added, “Jamaica, though it is a bright and colorful place, isactually quite dark. The Jamaican youth are trying to fill the emptiness insidewith fleeting happiness. This trip helped me realize how important it is tocontinue praying that they would realize the void in their hearts can only be

satisfied when filled with one thing: Jesus! My favorite time of the day was playing soccer or "football" with the Jamaicans! Toget a game started you could simply kick a ball back and forth with another person, and before you knew it you had two readyand overloaded teams anxious to play.”

-Kara Martin

December CalendarStuCo UpdateOver the past couple of months, business has been booming atsnack stand. We have been selling incredible amounts of foodand drinks including the sale of approximately 500 ArizonaTeas. Once a month as a great way to kick off Monday’s

secondarydevotions, we havebeen trying toprovide iced coffeecomplemented withWeiser’s premiumdonuts available forpurchase. OnNovember 16 weheld our much-anticipated Fall

Festival. Despite the chilly weather, the 80 secondary studentsthat attended enjoyed activities such as a hayride, a bonfire, apie-eating contest, and kettle corn to finish the evening. StuCois also looking forward to hosting a variety of events in thefuture. Such upcoming events include a high school gym nighton December 12, Christmas caroling for secondary students inDecember, and hosting a special Christmas chapel. Studentscan look forward to some service projects coming up in winterand spring, including a possible packing day at Christian AidMinistries. StuCo is very grateful for all the support thatstudents have shown to us by consistent business at snack standand faithful attendance at our events. We will try toconsistently provide intriguing and fun-filled events andsurprises for all the secondary students as the year quicklyproceeds.

-Dylan Martin (StuCo President)

Check It Out!

Learning to Serve

598 Stevens Road, Ephrata, PA, 17522Phone: 717-738-4266

E-mail: office@ephratamennonite.org

Ephrata Mennonite School

Connect with us at:

@ephratamennonite

Ephrata Mennonite Student Newspaper

P A G E 6 E M S E X P R E S S I O N S

1st: Middle & High School Guys Basketball Games VSFairview and Damascus (Away) at 4:00 pm5th: High School Basketball Game VS Ter re Hill(Away) at 2:00 pm6th: Christmas Program at 1:30 pm7th: Christmas Program at 7:00 pm12th: StuCo Gym Night at EMS at 6:00 pm19th: High School Basketball Game VS TEACH(Home) at 5:00 pm21st: Middle School Basketball Game VS Fairview(Home) at 10:45 pm22nd: Half Day - Christmas Vacation25th-Jan. 1st: No School - Christmas Vacation

After lots of effort put into creating posters, advertising, andspeeches, the votes were all in,and suspense began to rise aspeople anticipated which groupwould win. It was a very closeelection with the top fourgroups being within four votesof each other, but Spic andSpan was the winner! Theirmotto was “Spic and Span has aplan!” On Thursday November 9th, they fulfilled their plan byholding a carwash to raise money for the new school building.Led by the Spic and Span party, the class worked together toraise a total of $1,286!