Congratulations to junior Jared Jones, one of  the Fareway Student Athlete of the Week nominees.  Winners  will be announced on Friday  January 20th during the sports segment of  the  Fox 17 9:00 p .m. newscast.    Anyone can vote from this Friday, January 13th until next Wednesday, January 18th  at  Midnight.   Please keep in mind that, if your cell phone plan does not include texting, you will be charged each time you vote, and you will get a bounceback message from our sponsor, Fareway; so if your texting or data plan does not cover unlimited texting you may be charged.  See your provider for details on your plan if you have questions about coverage.

To vote for the Fareway Student Athlete of the Week, text your choice of C for Jared to 91217.  Message and data rates may apply.  Voting ends Wednesday, January 18.

Lunchroom Coordinator - Immediate Opening:  DMCS has an immediate opening for a lunchroom coordinator who can work between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. The position is a school year position, requiring limited hours in the summer.  A complete job description is available upon request.  The rate of pay is dependent on previous experience and ranges from $10.25 to $14.19 per hour. To apply, please submit your complete application to Julia Veenstra in the Business Office.

Congratulations to Carly Grotenhuis and the Urbandale Girls Soccer team.  The National Soccer Coaches Association of America has awarded the 2011 Urbandale Girls Soccer team with its Team Academic Award.  The J-Hawks boasted a Team grade point average of 3.81 during the 2011 season. The qualification threshold is a 3.25 team gpa.  Urbandale is one of just 215 girls soccer teams nationwide that received the award and the only Iowa girls team.

There will be a Special Finance Committee on January 16th at 5:30 p.m. in the Elementary Teachers' Workroom to continue discussion about the details of the 2012-2013 budget. Association members are invited to attend the meeting.

What is your favorite Girl Scout Cookie?  Thin Mints?  Peanut Butter Patties?  Caramel de Lites?   We have them all!  Support your DMCS Kindergarten Daisy Girl Scout Troop by purchasing a box of cookies.  Cookies are $3.50 a box, with 70% of the proceeds going to the local Girl Scout council and to the group selling the cookies. The balance goes directly to the baker to pay for the cookies. Cookies will be on sale in the Multi-Purpose Room after school on January 18th through the 20th. If you would like to purchase cookies, but can't make it during these times, please contact Debby Koster. Thank you for supporting the DMCS Kindergarten Girl Scouts! 

Praise the Lord that we are enhancing our security and safety at DMC as a result of a donor's generosity!  Beginning in January, Early Education parents will access that area of the building with fobs, since the location will be locked-down completely.  Also, we will begin limiting access to both the Secondary area and Elementary area by containing traffic to the handicapped-accessible door only at 9:00 a.m.  That way, the bad guys who don't know our building access well can be limited in their access.  (Please do not share this plan with others -- for the safety of your children.)  Coaches, P.E. teachers, and Secondary music instructors will also be limited by fobs and asked not to block open the brown doors near the trophy cases.  Thank you for learning our new "flight patterns" in the school.  Limiting access means greater safety for your children!

Iowa students are invited to apply for a seat on a new state advisory council formed by Iowa Department of Education Director Jason Glass. The Learning Council will be made up of 15 students and will focus on three key areas: highly effective educators, high expectations for all students with fair measures for results, and innovation that boosts learning.  Students enrolled in Grades 8-12 from public and non-public schools in Iowa may apply for a seat. Meetings will take place in March, May, September, and December. Council members also will communicate via e-mail. See Mrs. Kostek for more information.

Ag Enhancement Scholarship:  An applicant must be going into an agricultural business related field.

Iowa Engineering Society Scholarship:  An applicant must be a high school senior interested in pursuing an engineering degree and attending either Iowa State University or The University of Iowa.

Best Buy Scholarship Program:  Apply online

Des Moines Christian School warmly greeted the students and staff of Joshua Christian Academy for the entire morning of Wednesday, January 11, 2012. If you would like to read the outline of my Elementary Chapel message on that day, "I Cannot Come Down!" please click here.

Chuck Hurley - President of the Iowa Family Policy Center, a non-profit branch of the overarching Iowa Family Leader organization - spoke to the junior high and high school students during Secondary Chapel on Wednesday, January 11, 2012, and he made some very provocative statements about Darwinism. If you would like to read my summary of Mr. Hurley's message, "God Spoke!" please click here.

Upcoming Chapels:

The Rotary Club has again partnered with Iowa Energy Basketball to help raise funds for the eradication of Polio worldwide.  You may know that Polio exists today in only four countries: Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and Nigeria.  A 60 cent immunization will keep a child from contracting polio.  To this end, Iowa Energy will give the Rotary Club $8 for each ticket Des Moines Christian sells to the Saturday, January 21, 2012 7:00 p.m. game against the Tulsa 66ers.  In addition, Iowa Energy has priced their sideline $20 tickets at $16 for Rotarians and their friends.  Therefore, purchasing five tickets for $80 would provide Rotary's Polio Eradication effort with a $40 rebate from Iowa Energy, and, more importantly, immunize 66 children from the polio virus.   In addition to all the above offer, one of the NBA's leading halftime shows, "Chicago Boys Acrobatic Club," will be the halftime entertainment.   Please contact Dr. Wendi Wilson, if you would like her to hold some tickets for you.  Thanks for your consideration and support of this humanitarian and worthwhile endeavor.  For more information, contact Dr. Wilson at 971-3453 (cell) or Ed Arnold at 515-979-6215 (Des Moines cell phone). Check out the website.

Anderson Properties, a commercial real estate firm in Urbandale, is seeking a qualified candidate who possesses great organizational skills for a part-time reception position. Duties include, but are not limited to, answering phones, letter writing, organizing schedules of rent payments, listing of properties on an online listing service, and distribution of information to other employees, clients, and other associated persons. Knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and data entry are a must. Knowledge of Microsoft Publisher and PowerPoint, a plus. Candidates must be able to dress professionally to greet clients. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., with a half-hour unpaid lunch break. Compensation is $12.00 per hour.

Last chance to help the Winter Jam Christian Music Tour scheduled for Des Moines in January. The tour is in need of a fifteen passenger van, with gas, to be provided for the day by a church or para-chuch organization. This is an extra vehicle any runner might be sent out in, when needed. The production company's insurance will cover it for a day. If you can supply a van or volunteer at the event, please e-mail Jim Cordero.