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School Board
Meeting Minutes
Stay informed about board actions. View the latest board meeting minutes here.
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Des Moines
Christian School
Our Mission -Equipping students with an excellent biblically-directed, Christ-centered education.
Our Vision -Students will become servant leaders who think critically, discern spiritually, and act biblically.
Our Core Values -
∙ Wise stewardship of
all resources
∙ Serving those inside
and outside the body
of Christ
∙ Striving toward
excellence in all of our
endeavors
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Click here for the free eBook. Use the code FREEEBOOK when you checkout. |
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ePulse
Editing and Periodic Writing by Dr. Bob Stouffer, Superintendent
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)
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Did You Know?
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Cindy Darnielle, Early Ed Student Accounts, attended ten different schools in five different cities and skipped kindergarten!
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HAVE A FANTASTIC SUMMER!
Congratulations on completion of your school year!
We can't wait to see you again in August!
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Opening Quote, Scripture, and Prayer
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Opening Quote:
"I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior. I believe that Jesus died for my sins, and rose again, and that's my belief. I still don't know what 'Christian' means. I'm a follower of Christ, but I keep making a whole bunch of mistakes. And I thank God for forgiveness.
(Sherri Shepherd, 1967-, American entertainer)
Opening Scripture:
"It is good to give thanks to the LORD. . . ."
(Psalm 92:1, English Standard Version)
Opening Prayer:
"LORD, we DO give thanks to You for all that we have experienced during the 2012-2013 school year. You are such a gracious God. All of the joys have come as a result of Your hand. Every gift comes from You, the Father of lights above. We want to be obedient to your command to count it ALL joy, so we even praise You for the difficult things which have occurred during the school year, because we know that longsuffering results in endurance, greater Christian character, and the hope which can come only through Jesus Christ, Your Son. LORD, we pray for rest, learning, family time, and spiritual growth during the summer. So help us, God. Amen."
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DMCS News
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Didn't get a chance to attend the 2013 Commencement Ceremony at DMCS? You can read about it and view photos from The Des Moines Register. You can also read the Salutatorian address delivered by Josh Rowley and Valedictorian address delivered by Merci McDaniels.
New Bleachers Meet Safety Requirements: Spring is here, and you may have noticed new bleachers for our softball field and for our baseball field. Each year, our insurance company visits the school and recommends or requires changes for safety purposes. Our prior outdoor bleachers were out of compliance and needed to be replaced or updated. In March, new bleachers were ordered for baseball and softball. This month, the old bleachers have been moved, concrete was poured, and the new bleachers were installed. These new bleachers are now "safe" and ADA compliant. This summer, our facility team will modify the bleachers located by the football/soccer field, using the old bleachers as parts. The funding from this project came primarily from an account we call "Funded Depreciation" (opened in 2004). Funded Depreciation is a DMCS savings account that has been designated for "major" equipment and building repairs and replacements. This same fund was used to re-surface and repaint over half of the parking lot last summer - and to purchase our new school bus.
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Elementary News
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Congratulations to Carson Houg for receiving first place in the 3rd grade ACSI Math Olympiad in mathematical reasoning! I thank God for people who can reason mathematically!
An avid reader and writer myself, I absolutely love what Des Moines Christian is doing in the arenas of literacy instruction, and I experienced just such an Elementary activity first-hand this week. A second grade reader was excited to read a book to me. This was not just any book. This was a "mystery" book SHE had written. She even had a pseudonym! We sat in the hallway as the student very energetically read her book to me. The storyline was SO creative. Her illustrations were magnificent. Her actual handwriting was beautiful. (As an illegible hand-writer myself, I admire any and all good penmanship!) My ultimate delight in the book came on the very last page. Students were having difficulty solving the mystery of a monster in their hotel. On the last page, the mask of the monster was pulled off (ala Scooby Doo), and voila, the monster was DR. BOB! I loved it. What an honor to be a main character in her writing. I was so pleased to celebrate this student's accomplishment as an author!
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Secondary News
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Members of the Des Moines Christian Class of 2014 led the final Secondary Chapel on Wednesday, May 29, 2013. I am quite excited about the 2013-2014 school year, given the outstanding leadership of the juniors during this particular chapel. If you would like to read my summary of the very impactful chapel activities, "Do Not Be Ashamed!" please click here.
Enjoy a laugh with me as you read a graduating senior's thank you message to me: "Dr. Bob, thank you so much for coming to my party! Thank you for the card! (It was a struggle to read, though.) And thank you for calling so many snow days this year."
 Wanting to get a fresh perspective from a Des Moines school, DMCS was asked by the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this past week to paint a guitar for their annual auction. DMCS secondary art teacher Mrs. Holly Motsch took the call and knew immediately who should commission the piece, Junior Lynae Dadisman. "Lynae painted the guitar based on the Iowa landscape and to make it about famous Iowa Rock musicians that are in the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" said Mrs. Motsch. "I knew she wanted to try some commissioned work and I knew this would be perfect for her." Lynae was honored to complete the piece. "Mrs. Motsch knew that I could complete the piece with such short notice. I did research on where many of the musicians had performed in Iowa and wanted to include the Des Moines skyline because it is very iconic. I really liked the piece because it was uniform in its color scheme and I really enjoyed working on it" said Lynae. The guitar is one of many that will be on display at the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Okoboji before being auctioned off. The DMCS art program will receive a $250 gift from the committee for commissioning the piece.
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Development Office News
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Please celebrate the most successful legislative session in the history of the Iowa Association of Christian Schools! Dear Friends of IACS, the organization went into this legislative session optimistic that we'd make progress on a couple of key issues. We had no idea what God had in store for us! In our end-of-session newsletter , posted on our website, we highlight successes in the following areas: Independent Accreditation, STO Tax credits, textbook funding, transportation funding, defeat of unfunded mandates, and more! Please visit our website and click on "IACS Newsletter" today! Thank you for your willingness to share our action alerts, e-mail and build relationships with your legislators, and pray for us as we advocate on your behalf. We have much for which to be grateful! Sincerely, IACS Team.
Des Moines Christian School enthusiastically invites you to our
13th Annual DMCS Golf Tournament presented by Benefit Source, AMZ Financial, and Anonymous, on Friday, August 30, 2013. Join us and help raise $30,000 for our Christian Scholar Grant and help further Christian education at DMCS.
Please note the details:
- Friday, August 30, 2013
- Beaver Creek Golf Course (1120 NW Towner Dri, Grimes)
- Four person best shot with contests on the course! PLUS a Hole-in-One Challenge ($5,000 for DMCS and $5,000 for the winner)
- 7:30 am registration / complimentary breakfast
- (Bruegger's bagels, DMCS mom Kathy Gourd's famous homemade cinnamon rolls, and Friedrich's coffee)
- 8:30 am shotgun start
- Early Bird Entry Fee: $100 through June 4th (last day of school)
- After June 4, the fee is $125 per golfer.
- Lunch will be provided after play.
- Awards and prizes will follow lunch.
- Questions? Contact Peggy Lettow at 252-2496
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Athletics News
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 The varsity soccer team continued excellence in athletics during the spring season by qualifying to compete in the state soccer tournament for the first time in the history of the school! We praise God for their successes and upward trajectory of growth throughout the season! Seeded #8 (of 8), the team bowed out of the first round of the tournament in a 3-0 defeat at the hands of undefeated Dyersville-Beckman Catholic High School, the #1 seed in Class 1A. DMC was VERY competitive against a talented team, and we are proud of Coaches Ryan Rink and Scott Nilius and all of the Lions soccer players!
The DMC varsity cheerleaders are hosting a family night at Chick-Fil-A as a fundraiser. Please join us for a fabulous family night out on Tuesday, May 28th from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the Chick-Fil-A in front of Kohl's in West Des Moines (6555 Mills Civic Parkway). Please invite friends and neighbors to help support the DMC cheerleaders! Rumor has it Cow may even make an appearance, so it's sure to be a great photo opportunity!
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PTF News
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Parent -Teacher Fellowship (PTF) has several open board positions for the 2013-2014 school year. If you are interested in getting to know other parents, while having fun serving our school, PTF is for you! We are also looking for a Box Tops Coordinator for next year. Deanna Skokan, our current Box Tops Coordinator, will be stepping down after this school year. Deanna deserves a HUGE SHOUT OUT for helping PTF raise thousands of dollars through our Box Tops program!! Please give her your thanks when you see her in the halls! The Box Tops Coordinator position is fun and very rewarding! Please consider partnering with PTF for next school year!
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Upcoming Community News
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Special Family Mini-Photography Session
Conducted by Jodi Sunderman, DMC's Art and Photography Teacher
15-20 minutes! AFFORDABLE family portrait at a location of your choice!
Contact Mrs. Sunderman for more information.
Lindsey Remein is looking for summer work while she is back from college. Currently, she is in the Czech Republic studying abroad but will be back on June 24th. Lindsey is a Senior at Northwestern College in Orange City, majoring in Athletic Training, with a Minor in Psychology. She has spent the last 8 years babysitting kids in the summer and is certified in CPR and First Aid. She loves kids and is very responsible. Please call (515) 210-1039, if you are interested in employing Lindsey. Thank you!
Richard Smallwood
Hosted by the Iowa Gospel Festival, Inc.
June 14, 2013 @ 7:00 p.m.
Grace United Methodist Church, 3700 Cottage Grove, DM
$10 for youth, $20 for adults ($15 and $30, respectively, at the door)
Tickets are on sale online.
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Closing Quote:
"What would men be without women? Scarce, sir ... mighty scarce." (Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, 1835-1910, American humorist and author)
Sincerely,
 Dr. Bob Stouffer, Superintendent
Des Moines Christian School
13007 Douglas Parkway, Urbandale, IA 50323
Phone: (515) 252-2480 Fax: (515) 251-6911
 
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