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from DECATUR HERITAGE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 2017–2018

TO GOD BE THE GLORY“You can’t live in the past” is an oft-repeated phrase. As with all trite sayings like that, there is certainly some truth in it. When we think about the past, it is all too easy to look back on it with rose-colored glasses. We can end up longing for a past that never was. At the other end of the spectrum, we can, consciously or un-consciously, allow unpleasant, traumatic events in the past to have an inordinate influence on our current lives and decisions. From a psychological standpoint, we can allow the past to taint or even control our current experiences, pushing us to unrealistic highs or lows. That cannot be good for our mental health.

As Christians, though, should we allow the psychology of a situation to determine its merit and our response to it? Is there a sense in which God instructs us not to live in the past? In Philippians 3:13-14, Paul describes his approach as, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Taken at face value, though, his claim may prove too much. Both the writer of Hebrews and Paul himself earlier in his letter to the Philippians give us clarification on what sorts of things need to be forgotten. Our past sinful acts which weigh us down, along with those past achievements that feed our self-righteousness, need to be left behind and forgotten.

If not all the past should be forgotten, what parts of it would God have us remember? Decatur Heritage has had an incredible history of being blessed culminating in our current situation – our new capital campaign and campus build-out. For that we should be truly thankful. However, Deuteronomy 11 instructs us to remember God’s discipline as well as His blessings. Over the years, the school and its families have experienced plenty of tough situations. There have been financial stresses, sicknesses and deaths, and many difficult family dilemmas. In each of those mo-ments, we have had the opportunity to grow and to minister to one another. As we look back, we do not need to gloss over our times in the wilderness any more than we need to forget the times we experienced the land flowing with milk and honey. We need to remember that God’s hand was in each of those events, and we need to be thankful for His love, guidance, and support through them.

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2017

VOLUME 18, ISSUE 3

Our LeadershipMr. Scott Mayo HeadmasterMr. Jeremy Jones K-12 Chief Learning LeaderMr. Michael Holiday Assistant PrincipalMr. Ty Patterson Athletic DirectorMr. Steve Atchley Facility Manager & Assistant ADMrs. Scarlet Bolan Food Service DirectorMrs. Melissa Ross Guidance CounselorMrs. Heather Sasser Chief Financial OfficerMrs. Lisa Barnett Advancement Director

Board of TrusteesMr. Blake Temple, Chairman Mr. Stratton OrrMr. Em Barran Mr. Jeff ParkerMrs. Lyn Cook Dr. Jay SuggsMrs. Laura Hellard Mr. Skip Thompson Mrs. Tricia Heyward

Faculty and StaffMrs. Patty Annerton Math & SpanishMrs. Paula Armstrong Bible Mrs. Noelle Barron KindergartenMrs. Cathryn Buse Bible & MathMrs. Debbie Bishop Second Grade Mrs. Leigh Ann Chiles Instructional Enhancement FacilitatorMrs. Kathy Coffey First GradeMrs. Debbie Crews Third GradeMrs. Jennifer Densmore ScienceMrs. Bethany Eze Lower School Secretary/MusicMrs. Traci Gladish Office/CFE AideMrs. Teresa Hall Media CenterMrs. Katherine Helms Government & EnglishMrs. Yvonne Holiday Physical EducationMs. Hannah Holloway Fifth & Sixth GradeMrs. Sandra Howard ScienceMrs. Carole Janorschke Upper School SecretaryMrs. Donna Jarnagin MathMrs. Karen Keith ScienceMrs. Tammy Legg Food Service StaffMrs. Becky Linderman Fourth Grade Mrs. Kerstin Lynch Fourth GradeMrs. Alyssa Maddox Third GradeMr. Jason Marshall Physical EducationMrs. Terri Mashburn Financial SecretaryMrs. Donna Mayo Office/CFE AideMrs. Melissa McCulloch Writing Enhancement FacilitatorMrs. Julie McGough English & HealthMr. Steve Meek Physical Education & HistoryMrs. Dustin Mitchell TechnologyMrs. Connie Murray Instructional Enhancement FacilitatorMrs. Olivia Ngo Fifth & Sixth GradeMrs. Kim Parker Health Room FacilitatorMrs. Paizley Peebles First GradeMrs. Leah Reid Fifth & Sixth GradeMrs. Cathy Schmid MathMrs. Melissa Simpson Food Service StaffMrs. Brenda Smith Second GradeMrs. Sandy Stephenson KindergartenMrs. Sylvia Teague MathMrs. Angie Teichmiller History Mrs. Holly Thompson Advancement & Athletic SecretaryMrs. Amy Tubbs ArtMrs. Laura Frasher Tuttle EnglishMr. David Walker BandMrs. Irina Washburn RussianMrs. Jenna Wilkerson Fifth & Sixth GradeMrs. Barbara Wright TechnologyMrs. Angela Wynn English

(Continued on Page 3)

Scott Mayo, Headmaster

2 “I will praise God’s name in song, and glorify him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 69:30

TO GOD BE THE GLORY

Why an Annual Fund?

Every year Decatur Heritage Christian Academy conducts an Annual Fund campaign. Over the years, the Annual Fund campaign has provided our school with much needed resources to equip our teachers and classrooms with the tools they need. This year-round campaign funds the teaching and learning that goes on each day in our classrooms. It provides a vital help for the annual expenses of the operating budget.

The Annual Fund gives you, the people who know and love Decatur Heritage the most, the opportunity to help advance the mission of our school and make an impact in the lives of our students. Benjamin Franklin said: “Annual giving is the custom of making a gift-a-year to an institution in which one has faith. It is a friendly, altogether happy custom…a perennial reunion in spirit…a pooling of hope and good wishes by those who wish the institution well.” Like Benjamin Franklin said, it is our hope that supporting our Annual Fund campaign is a “happy custom” for you. We rely on your generosity each year to ensure we are able to provide an excellent, Christ-centered education for our students. Your support is making a difference.

“Decatur Heritage has given me the opportunity to build close relationships with students of all ages as well as my teachers and administrators. The semi-nary-level Bible teaching and rigorous academics have equipped me spiritually and academically for college. Not only does DHCA offer a broad range of AP classes and athletic opportunities, but the school is seeing continued success in these areas.

Decatur Heritage does a great job of focusing on each student individually. The school’s small size along with its wide range of extracurricular activities al-low students to have a well-rounded experience and be involved in lots of different areas. Spending thirteen years as a student here has been a blessing and a perfect fit for me.”Lida Orr, DHCA Senior

Thank you in advance for your support of our 2017-2018 Annual Fund!

My name is Bethany Eze. I am serving as the music teacher for Decatur Heritage Christian Academy this year. I have three children who are students at Decatur Heritage: Ian (‘22), Samara (‘24), and Jeremiah (‘27) and we are blessed to be a part of the DHCA Family. I am excited, privileged, and honored to have an op-portunity to serve the students (K-6 and

7th/8th grade) of DHCA this year. Thus far, we have been having a wonderful time singing, dancing, and learning about new things in music. We have also celebrated with our Grandparents! In addition to sharing music with the students, I also serve as the coordinator for Power Up worship services. This service is held every Wednesday morning at 8:15 am to 8:45 am and it would be an honor to have you as our guest. Please continue to encourage and pray for our students this year. I look forward to an exciting year of music and arts!

I am so excited to be in the Media Center this year. I love encouraging the DHCA students to love reading. I am also extremely excited to teach our students what it looks like to be mission-minded right where they are.

Our theme this year in the Media Cen-ter is “Let’s Get Mission-Minded.”Our motto is,“have you done some-thing kind today?”

Ms. Bethany Eze

New Faces in new places

Mrs. Teresa Hall

Veterans Day CelebrationNovember 6, 8:31 am

Please join us in the gym.

Lisa Barnett, Advancement Director

DHCA ADVANCEMENT

WELCOME NEW STUDENTSAND FAMILIES

Nastya Chesser, 5th gradedaughter of Jerry and Natalia Chesser

Zoe Gibson, 5th gradedaughter of Jonathon and Kim Gibson

Clay Smith, 9th gradeson of Steve and Cindy Smith

3Decatur Heritage Christian Academy is a 501-C-3 non-profit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Memorials, honorariums, and gifts may be mailed to DHCA, P. O. Box 5659, Decatur, AL 35601-0659.

Finally, though, our responsibility as an institution is not just to remember and react accordingly. We are to share those memories with the next generation so they might understand God better, leading to praise and thankfulness. Psalm 78:4 says, “…we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power and the wonders he has done.” I think Decatur Heritage is the perfect place for that to happen.

(Continued from front cover)

"HEADMASTER'S ACADEMIC SCHOLARS"1st Quarter 2017-2018

"HERITAGE ACADEMIC ACHIEVERS"1st Quarter 2017-2018

“A student achieving all A's, with no grade below 90 including weighted grades for AP and Honors classes"

"A student achieving all A's and B’s, with no grade below 80including weighted grades for AP and Honors classes"

7th Grade Mason BaxleyOlivia BenderAdeline BurneyIsabella CliftonAllyson DensmoreDanish EdupugantiHanish EdupugantiCharlie HellardGentry NelsonWillis OrrWesley OwensBo SolleySasha SuggsKinley TerryHudson WallaceBraxton Woodruff 8th Grade Brian BrownAvery ByarsTyler Founds Connor FrancisThomas RossBeth TrippanyGabe WallaceAlisa Washburn 9th Grade Emakay ArnoldMichael ChengJustin DensmoreMaddie EubanksEmily HubbardJuliana HudryEnsley JohnsonLucy OrrMalana PowerClay SmithMaddux Terry

10th Grade David BrownTegwen BucknerSeaborn ChappellCole GarnerMallory HamptonKatie JonesColton KeithMason LentzBen LovelaceStratton OrrStephen RossCarter SampleAbby Terry 11th Grade Derrick BishopAmelia ByarsJustin McCleskeyIan Metzgar

12th Grade Morgan AbercrombieGarret BucknerAnn Whitney ChappellAaron FrancisEleanor HellardMaggie HelmsJeff HunterKarsyn LemleySam Harrison MathewsLida OrrBrooklyn ParkerMarilyn SampleMerrick StaffordMason Terry

7th GradeIan EzeSheryl GarnerEve HeatherlyMacy HollandSara JonesJoshua MurrayBryant PittsNicholas TelepunKatilyn ViersAiden WaldrepBowden Williams

8th GradeLeland BarnettAiden GarrissConner McDanielKatelyn McDanielCharlie MooresCole O’BrienMaci OdomBrooklyn PalmerMary Peyton PropstNash RippenSaxon SampleBrooke SmithLydia Williams 9th GradeFlorence BowmanSarah Grace BurneyRaleigh LadnerDaija MilamLoryn MillerHouston SouthMia SuggsTy TysonKatie WallaceSam Waters

10th GradeKinsley HillJordan HunterShelby JonesMarc PettusGarrett RogersPreston TerryGianCarlo ValdezAshleigh VickeryEli WaldrepEthan Wallace 11th GradeLizzie BishopHeath BoltonTate CopelandKatelyne GarrieReagan GowenLily HoldbrooksEthan HubbardAleah JenkinsAudrey JettGrace Haulie JohnsonWill JonesMargaret South 12th GradeCason BrownPatrick ChengBailey FoundsOlivia GaileyWalker JonesTrace LentzJared LittleCory LongStratton MillerJake NewtonCarson SolleyCollin StaffordSeth Thompson

4 “OUR MISSION is to assist families by providing their children with an education

HERITAGE HEADLINES

Morgan Abercrombie (‘18) was recently announced as 2017 National Merit Semi-Final-ist. She will now move into the competition for 7,500 National Merit scholarships worth more than $32 million that will be of-

fered next spring. DHCA congratulates Morgan on this impressive achievment!

Justin McCleskey (‘19) competed in the Holy Cross Forensics Tournament in New Orleans, Louisiana. His Lincoln-Douglas debate win-loss record was an impressive 4-2; he finished seventeenth. Congrats Justin!

My name is Elizabeth Carter and I am a 2006 graduate of Decatur Heritage. I can’t believe it has been over 11 years! After I graduated from DHCA, I grad-uated from Calhoun with my associate’s degree in nursing and then I finished at the University of Alabama with my bachelor’s in nursing. I have been working at Huntsville Hospital in sur-gery for over 5 years now. My husband Nick and I are living in Madison and expecting our first child in January.

Decatur Heritage has been a huge part of my life and I was a student there since the days it was still Grace Baptist. I have been able to experience Decatur Heritage from several different viewpoints: as a student, as Mrs. Howard’s daughter, and as a guest teacher for a few months after college. I learned skills in my time as a student that have helped me so much as I went through college and now in my career. I learned how to write the perfect essay in Mrs. Holland’s English classes, how to take good notes in my mom’s science classes, and how to critically think by answering Mr. Holiday’s “so what” questions in Bible class. Decatur Heritage was instrumental in com-ing alongside my parents and my church in helping me learn how to apply what I’d learned about God and my beliefs in my life. I think that skill has been the most important since we are living in a world where Christianity has become counter-cultural.

I am so thankful to the teachers and administration for all of the work, time, and effort they put into my education. The quality of the education I received shows to me the dedication that you all have for this ministry.

We are now a few months into our senior year. The first quarter has come to a close and already it is tempting to become complacent. As seniors we have worked hard for the last three years to be able to apply to colleges with high grades and outstanding achievements. Now though, most of the application process has been completed and it is easy to think that we can lay off and coast through the second quarter and on into the rest of our final year. This is not the case, how we perform in our senior year is essential to a successful future. The rest of this year will be a time of growth and increased responsibility and if we can learn to handle it now then when the time comes to be on our own we will be ready. God has a plan for every single one of us and it is our job to listen to Him and follow what He wants us to do. This includes preparing for the job at hand and refus-ing to settle and become lazy. With that said, let us try to keep our focus on continuing to grow in knowledge and doubling our effort in the second quarter of this school year.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Elizabeth Carter (‘06) and her husband

Garret Buckner, President

Class of 2018

SENIOR SCOPE

DHCA Students

Cason Brown (‘18) was featured in the August issue of of the “Alabama Living Joe Wheeler Elec-tric” magazine. He was amongst five delegates chosen from the Mont-gomery Youth Tour to rep-resent the JWEMC as part of the Washington Youth Tour. DHCA is proud of Cason and his ongoing accomplishments.

5t ha t i s exce l l en t and wh ich in s t i l l s B ib l i ca l p r inc ip l e s t o gu ide the i r l i ves . ”

Our family moved back to our home town of Decatur 2.5 years ago and were faced with the question of where to send our children to school. It was never really an option for my husband and I to attend private school when we were growing up so we went to public schools. Neither of us had bad experiences with the public school system and really enjoyed our education expe-riences overall. However, as all of you parents know, something changes in you when you first lay eyes on that baby girl or boy. Your whole life changes. Holding that little life in your arms and knowing that God has entrusted you with this child changes your perspective on the things of this world.

Where we were going to send our children to school wasn’t something we thought about much when they were babies, mostly because we had no idea where we would be living by the time they got to school age. But we were blessed to be able to come back home and raise our children where we were raised. But as our children got older and we knew where we were going to settle, we started talking to people around Decatur about schools. There were mixed opinions about different schools but we kept hearing comments about this Decatur Heritage and how wonderful it was. My husband and I prayed about it and decided to meet with the faculty and tour the school.

We had nothing against public schools. After all, that was what we were accustomed to but we just didn’t have peace about sending our children there at least not at this early stage in their lives. After meeting the faculty and staff at Decatur Heritage, we had peace that this is where our children needed to be.

The thoughts of sending our kids and especially our first child to kindergarten just broke our hearts. I was a stay-at-home mom, so these were the babies that I had spent every day with for the past 5 years and now they were growing up and enter-ing a new phase of life. It was heartbreaking to say the least. But the one thing that calmed my heart was knowing that our children would be leaving me each day to be surrounded by teachers and faculty who truly love them and love the Lord. The peace that comes by knowing your children are being taught and cared for by others who are like-minded, Christ-led and free to love them with the love of Jesus is overwhelmingly comforting. So after the tour and interview we had total peace that this was where we needed to be. From the second we first walked through those doors we felt at home.

Our experience at Decatur Heritage has been amazing. I remember being blown away at the first Grandparents Day and Vet-erans Day program. I stood there with chills and tears in my eyes just so thankful to hear those little voices singing “I believe in God the Father. I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe in the Holy Spirit.” We have been so thankful for the genuine love our kids’ teachers have towards them. I’ll never forget at the first orientation one of our kid’s teachers talked about how she prays for each one of her students out loud every morning on the way to school. They each have a second mom in their teachers and we are so thankful that they love our kids as much as we do. When we have faced tough times with our children, DHCA faculty have stepped in, eager to help.

Our experience at DHCA has been very special and the people God has brought into our lives through this school have made a huge impact in our lives. God has used families at this school and their love for the Lord and willingness to serve Him to im-pact our family and encourage us. We have recently taken two foster children with hopes of adopting them and this could not have been possible without the support and encouragement we have received from families at DHCA. We love the friendships our children have made and the spiritual growth we have seen in them as a result of Bible teaching at school. It is our job as parents to raise our children in the Lord but it is such a blessing for them to be surrounded by that same teaching at school. We are so thankful that we chose DHCA and so blessed to be able to be part of this family.

The Daigre Family

Why We Chose DHCA

Cassie, Dr. Justin,Harrison (‘25), Parker (‘29), Lucy (‘27), and Lily Daigre.

Nora Joy is Home

Thank you to everyone who supported the Ross Family adoption. Nora is happy to be home.

6 Visit our website at www.dhca.org.

The Legacy of a grandparent... Building a Heritage

2017 Homecoming Court

Pictured left to right are Lucy Orr (‘21), Tegwen Buckner (‘20), Lily Holdbrooks (‘19), Brooklyn Parker (‘18), Lida Orr (‘18), Marilyn Sample (‘18), Lexi Brown (‘18), Maggie Helms (‘18), Bailey Founds (‘18), Izzy Kyle (‘19), Katie Jones (‘20) and Malana Power (‘21). Congratulations to Lida Orr, our 2017 Homecoming Queen!

On Wednesday, September 13, DHCA hosted its annual Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day, one of our most beloved events. More than 300 guests attended the heartwarming celebration. Upon arrival, they were greeted by the Ambassadors and treated to a reception with lots of great food.

Eleanor Hellard, DHCA senior Ambassador, graciously welcomed the guests with an eloquent and heartfelt message. Stu-dents in kindergarten through sixth grade, under the leadership of Ms. Bethany Eze, provided musical compositions with lyr-ics proclaiming the greatness of God and the special love and relationships between grandparents and grandchildren. Mrs. Irina Washburn led the kindergarten through third grade students in singing a most popular Russian folk song and nursery rhyme. The musical performances by Mrs. Heather Kyle, Mrs. Connie Phillips, and Mrs. Melinda Martin were joyful and uplifting.

Sixth grade students shared memories through sincere personal narratives. With her enthusiastic and sparkly charm, Mrs. Danielle Solley engaged the audience members. She recognized the ones who traveled the most miles, couples who have been married for many years, and the “most prepared” grandparents. The program concluded with a slide show produced by Mrs. Connie Murray featuring pictures of students with their grandparents and special friends.

After the program, our special guests were able to visit the classrooms, receive a treasured keepsake, and, of course, to visit the book fair. This was truly a great day for all who were involved. We are so thankful for our grandparents and special friends who are a huge part of the lives of our students. “The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness.” Proverbs 16:31 NKJV

7Decatur Heritage Christian Academy is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member in good standing with the Association of Christian Schools International.

HERITAGE HIGHLIGHTS

2017/2018 Book Fair Poster WinnerS

Congratulations 2017 AP Scholars

Front Row: Katie Wallace (‘21), Florence Bowman (‘21), Juliana Hudry (‘21), Ensley Johnson (‘21), Maddie Eubanks (‘21), Marilyn Sample (‘18), Reagan Gowen (‘19) Ann Whitney Chappell (‘18) Margaret South (‘19) Katie Jones (‘20).Second Row: Lucy Orr (‘21), Malana Power (‘21), Loryn Miller (‘21), Grace Haulie Johnson (‘19), Eleanor Hellard (‘18), Morgan Abercrom-bie (‘18), Mallory Hampton (‘20) Lily Holdbrooks (‘19), Mia Suggs (‘21), Lida Orr (‘18) and Amelia Byers (‘19).Third Row: Ty Tyson (‘21), Colton Keith (‘20), Stratton Orr (‘20), Stephen Ross (‘20), Carter Sample (‘20), Cole Garner (‘20), Justin Mcleskey (‘19), Ben Lovelace (‘20), Preston Terry (‘20) and Seaborn Chappell (‘20). Not Pictured: Aaron Francis (‘18)

2017/2018 Ambassadors

YeeHaw cowboys and cowgirls! The “Saddle Up and Read” book fair was a “rootin’ tootin’ success” due to the generosity of our DHCA family and awesome sales on Grandparents Day. We earned $3862.96 in Scholastic

Dollars to use for the library and classroom needs. A very special “thank you” to Judy Garrie, whose con-

tinual services and unending gift of time is a blessing to all of us involved with the book fair.

Happy Reading!

A big ”thank you” to all (56) students for participating in the “Saddle Up And Read” book fair poster contest. Cowboys & Cowgirls, your work was “rootin tootin good!”Left to right Julia Boyles (‘24), Grace Kretzschmar (‘25), Ashlyn Jones (‘26), Murphy Founds (‘26), Adriana Rodriques (‘29) and El-liott Reischman (‘28). Also pictured Mrs. Hall and Mrs. Garrie.

Lida Orr (‘18)

Abby Tubbs (‘17)

Hope Gladish (‘17)

Riley Hurst (‘17)

Clay Oliver (‘17)

Marley Schmid, of Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Vistors Bureau, received the “Young Professional of the Year Award.”

Aspiring AlumniMy name is David Stephenson and I am a 2010 graduate of Decatur Heritage. After high school I attended a couple of colleges before gradu-ating from UNA with a degree in Management in 2014. In May of 2016, I started Sunbridge Home Health Care, Inc. where we provide homemaker, personal care, unskilled respite, skilled respite, and companion services. These services are for anyone in need, the elderly, mentally disabled, children with special needs, or younger adults who have suffered from health problems. In a little over a year’s time, we have grown to 150 cli-ents and 65 employees and we are able to cover 24 counties throughout the state of Alabama. In these counties we hold Medicaid and VA con-

tracts and we also provide private pay services through all counties.

In my time at DHCA, there was no other teacher I learned more from than Mr. Holiday. I was fortunate enough to have him as a teacher for 5 years. Every class I had with him, from the Old testament to Apologetics, prepared me for college and the real world. He pushed me to be the best that I could be by holding me accountable and teaching me along the way. Everything I learned from him and his classes has helped me to become the person I am today, and helped me get to where I am. I am thankful for the help of my parents and how much they have done for me and also for the opportunities and blessings which God has provided me.

Marley Schmid Alumna 2008

David Stephenson Alumnus 2010

The following students scored a 3 or above on three or more Advanced Placement exams:

8 Decatur Heritage Christian Academy is a member of the Alabama High School Athletic Association.

SPORTS SCENE

FOOTBALL

SHOOTINGCROSS COUNTRYCHEER SQUAD

#2 Trace Lentz #3 Garret Buckner #4 Mason Terry #5 Jeff Hunter #8 Kristian Bowling

#10 Carson Solley #12 Nathan Ladner #20 Stratton Miller #51 Jackson Parker

#52 Merrick Stafford #53 Justin Brown #55 Collin Stafford #75 Dalton Davis

SENIOR ATHLETES

Lida Orr

Lily Catherine Holland

Ann Whitney ChappellSam Harrison Mathews

Marilyn Sample

Patrick Cheng

Jake Newton

Seth Thompson

From Left to Right:

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In 2004, when I arrived in Decatur to interview for headmaster, the first board

member I met was Dr. Vernon Hurst. We instantly hit it off, sharing a passion for

running. In fact, although we didn’t know each other at the time, we crossed the

finish line at the Chicago Marathon within seconds of each other earlier that year! Once I took the job and moved to town,

Vernon invited me to help with cross country as he was coaching it at the time.

As the years passed, things got much busier around the school and I eventually got too busy to help, much to my chagrin.

Roll forward to this year, the first fall season since Vernon’s re-

tirement as XC coach. We hunted and hunted for a replacement but to no avail. Finally, Twila Hudry stepped up and said she

would “coach” and handle all the organization, registration, uni-forms, etc. but would need someone to manage practices and set expectations for the runners. Given that setup, how could I not volunteer to fill that role? It’s a great group of athletes and I want to help them succeed, especially since they’ve chosen

such a character-building sport like this. Remember, cross coun-try is famous for the line, “Our sport is your sport’s punishment!”

BOOSTER CLUB

Monday, April 2Burningtree Golf Course

INTRODUCING NEW CROSS COUNTRY COACHES

7TH ANNUAL Golf CLASSIC

This year, Twila Hudry is pitching in to help coach the XC team. Our XC team has a rich history. We have had teams and individuals compete at the state-level, but this program has always been about more than just teaching distance running. Cross Country is a great metaphor for the Christian life and there are many wonderful scriptures regarding running. Our theme this year is “Run with purpose in every step”1 Corinthians 9:26 (NLT).

Twila is an honors graduate with B.S. degrees in Computer Sci-ence and Math, and earned an M.B.A. She worked for Raytheon in Dallas, Boston, and Washington, D.C.; Space Imaging in Denver; and Teledyne in Huntsville. She amassed over twenty years of experience in research & development, mergers & acquisitions, and program management. She is married to Dr. Wayne Hudry. They have two children, Juliana, a freshman at DHCA and David, age 11. The Hudrys joined the DHCA family over ten years ago when Juliana entered 4 year-old kindergar-ten. Twila has served as homeroom mom and Parent Associa-tion President.There are 14 student athletes-participating in XC this year. All are choosing to do something difficult and having the discipline to work each day to be better than they were the day before. It is exciting to be a part of this program!

Mrs. Hudry would like to publicly thank Mr. Scott Mayo for coaching XC this year. He faithfully leads our school with wis-dom, integrity, and consistency. He is going the extra mile and our students are better because of it. Thank you, Coach Mayo.

Twila Hudry

Mr. Mayo resting after running with Thomas

Ross (‘21)

Mark Your Calendars! The 7th Annual DHCA Ath-letic Booster Club Golf Classic has been rescheduled for April 2nd, 2018 at Burningtree Country Club. This is by far our largest fundraiser and we need your support. Last year we had 84 golfers participate in the tourna-ment and we are hoping to exceed that this year.

Also, it’s not too late to join the DHCA Booster Club and take advantage of the ability to purchase the

ALL SEASON SPORTS PASS. For additional information please email Leif Founds at

lfounds@corpbill.com.

2017 Cross Country

Front Row: Thomas Ross (‘22) and Juliana Hudry (‘21).Second Row: Preston Terry (‘20), David Brown (‘20), Jackson McDaniel (‘22), Ann Whitney Chappell (‘18), Stephen Ross (‘20) and Hudson Wallace (‘23).Third Row: Sam Harrison Mathews (‘18), Mr. Mayo, Twila Hudry and Patrick Cheng (‘18).

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NOVEMBER

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.

19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.

26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

VeteransDay

Melissa Simpson’sBirthday

Varsity Basketball tips off - Find full schedule atat www.dhca.org under “Athletics”

Progress ReportsAvailable via

8:31 am“God Bless America”

Veterans Day Celebrations

Jason Marshall’sBirthday

Bethany Eze’sBirthday

Debbie Crew’sBirthday

Thanksgiving Holiday

School Holiday

Jenna Wilkersonand

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DECEMBER

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1. 2.

3. 4. 5. 8. 9.

10. 11. 12. 15. 16.

17. 18. 19. 22. 23.

24. 25. 26. 29. 30.

31.

Holly Thompsonand Leah Reid’s

Birthday

Steve Meek’sBirthday

David Walker’s Birthday

6. 7.

13. 14.

20. 21.

27. 28.

Basketball continues... Check www.dhca.org “athletics” for complete schedule details.

Classes Resume Thursday, January 4

Lower SchoolChristmas Concerts6:30pm & 7:00pm

Upper School ExamsClasses Dismissfor the Holidays

Becky Linderman’s

Birthday

Donna Mayo’sBirthday

Angela Wynn and Sandra Howard’s

Birthday

First Day of Winter

Today in the town of David a Savior has

been born to you; he Christ the Lord.

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NONPROFITU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDDecatur, AL

35601Permit No. 805

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

P.O. Box 5659 • Decatur, Alabama 35601 • 256.351.4275

Decatur Heritage Christian Academy is a 501-C-3 non-profit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Memorials, honorariums, and gifts may be mailed to DHCA, P. O. Box 5659, Decatur, AL 35601-0659.

Your Invitation to participate is coming soon!

2017-2018ANNUAL FUND