A Message From Mrs. Rivera's Family

Mr. Mitchell,

Here are the pictures of the student's cards and letters hung up in her room. I would like to thank FMCS for their support during these tough times. Although the doctor’s say that we have a long recovery time ahead of us, I believe that God is going to continue surprising us with his healing power and love. Thanks for all of the dinners and for taking time out of your busy lives to prepare them. It shows that the people that work for FMCS were handpicked by God himself. It has been a blessing to be reminded once more that my mom works with such awesome people. Please continue to pray for quick recovery of my mom’s right side and for her speech. (What would she do without being able to talk and brag about her children.) LOL
Well, thanks once again. I know that one day you will all be able to see the miracle that God has been performing in my mom’s life.

With love,

Dianira Rivera (Her daughter)

Third grade takes gifts to WAY-FM

The third grade works and encourages Christian radio, WAY-FM. Christmas gifts were brought in to be provided for the station's annual toy drive! Thank you parents and families for your donations to make a difference during a very tough year for families.

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Preschool Christmas Program

Many thanks to our teachers, aides, student aides and families for helping these students shine for Jesus!

Special message to all current FMCS parents

SPECIAL MESSAGE - ACT NOW!

School History Made

School history made: For the first time, your chapel offerings are helping support a former FMCS graduate who is on the mission field - Mr. Nolan Tarantino (shown in the picture, white shirt, front row, middle). THANK YOU! Check out the video

Math Pals in Action

Math Pals (4th graders with pk3 students) went on a scavenger hunt that included shapes, colors, knowing the parts of the body and teamwork. They used the collection items of candies to decorate a gingerbread cookie.


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K Student Missions at Christmas

Many thanks to our teachers, parents and students who provide Christmas gifts for the Children's Home Society!

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Christmas Concert 08

Great job by Mrs. Gulbronson, students, teachers and volunteers! More pictures on our slideshow. (click on the slideshow to see all pictures)

Second Grade Art Projects

Come in and see them on the second floor of the Children's Center


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Creative Book Reports from Third Grade

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7th Grade Field Trip!

The seventh grade, in order to study medieval times, visited Medieval Times with their teacher, Mrs. Mitchell!

Preschoolers Have Computer Time

I had the opportunity to peak in on the pk4 class during computer time!
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Thank you for your support!

The Parent University Christmas store was a great success - $3460.81! Thank you to Mrs. Tyson and ALL of our volunteers! Here is a list of my wonderful helpers and I've also designated those that donated items as well.

Tracie & JJ Ames - Kay's Hallmark Store - donations

Donations and volunteer:
Catherine Coval
Rita Lavorgna
Rita Masarro
Susan Stockman
Denise McLaughlin - Wrap room organizer
Tina Willimas
Kristin Zullo
Jennifer Reeves
Aimee Kline

Volunteers:
Sarah Criswell
Lisa Vanzanten
Amanda Manwell
Lanie Benzon
Dana Barfield
Tonya Gerdt
Carey Chester
Angie Glynn
Mary Royal
Kelly Smith
Stacey Goguen
Courtney Wunderlich
Kristi Lauer
Michelle Palmer
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Basketball Season Tips-Off

Check the schedule and come out and support the Eagles!
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Parent University Christmas Store

The store opens Tuesday and runs through Thursday - opening at 8:15 am. All grades will get a chance to walk through and shop - parents and grandparents are welcome to join us. For the latest list of items, click here. Great job by Vicky Tyson and volunteers!

Alumni Praise - Anne Floyd

Congratulations to FMCS graduate, Anne Floyd, who was married Saturday, November 22 to Mr. Eric Terrell at First Christian Church. The wedding party also featured other alumni: Abby Floyd, Rachel Ward, Sarah Palmer, Tabitha Palmer, and Sam Floyd.

Alumni Praise - Angie Kuhn

FMCS Alumnus and soccer standout, Angie Kuhn, was named to the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) South All-Region Team as a sophomore this past season. Angie, working on her nursing major at Palm Beach Atlantic University, has scored 6 goals and 4 assists this year despite injuries.

The Final Call

FMCS says good-bye and thank you to Mrs. Joyce Swearingen! Joyce and her husband will be moving to pastor a church in Fredrickstown, Ohio. We have been blessed to have her working with us here!

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First Grade Program

The first grade presented what they learned about the first Thanksgiving!


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Kindergarten Crafts

Mrs. Smith's class - parents, kids, crafts, fun!



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Gingerbread House Day

It's time for the third grade's gingerbread house day! Thank you Miss McLaughlin and parents! See the picture below of the temple of dental doom!


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1 pie in the face + 1 Principal = Water for those in need!

Today's elementary chapel was very exciting! After a message by Pastor Johnny about thankfulness, Pastor David gave the report on the coin drive for the Africa Oasis project! (click here) We want to thank all our teachers, staff, parents, and students, AND KIDZTOWN - over $1200 was raised for the well for the children! That is a great example of being Jesus to the world! The fifth grade was the top class!

Well, the challenge was that if we raised over $1000, I would get a pie in the face! Watch the video! (I do want to let you know that a pie in the face does wake you up more than a triple shot white chocolate mocha at Starbucks!) Mrs. Robin Couch , the teacher of the winning class, was able to do the honors.

THANK YOU!

National Junior Honor Society Fall Induction

Fort Myers Christian School held their annual fall induction today in the Colonial Chapel. Students and guests attended the special ceremony that welcomed two new inductees: Miss Kaitlin Schafe and Mr. JJ Cantisano. Many thanks to our teacher/sponsor, Mrs. Jennifer Crouch, and to our guest speaker, Pastor Jeff Leatherman (Senior High Youth Pastor at First Assembly).

Mr. Mitchell also announced that in the spring, we will also be adding the Josiah Chapter of our FIRST National Elementary Honor Society for grades 4-6. More details coming soon...

Parent University Cafe

Thank you our officers and parents that were able to attend today. We shared some great information and a PRAISE over the funds raised for the preschool playground sunshade that will me going up soon. Thank you for your purchase of the Sally Foster gift wrap and Entertainment Books. We also want to thank the College Parkway Starbucks for the free coffee for our meeting!


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Hunter Rollings Story from the D.C. Leadership Conference

While in Washington, D.C., I learned many leadership qualities and lots of American history. We visited different American sites each day like the Lincoln Memorial, the White House and Harper's Ferry and learned why they are important. My favorite part of the trip was learning about American history and the wars we had to fight for our freedom. It made me realize how we take our freedom for granted. We also studied our amendments and freedoms. I think most of all this is what I will take away from this trip. I also liked learning about the leadership qualities of our past leaders and how I can develop these in myself and use them for good. I met a lot of nice kids from across the United States. We had a great time and learned a lot. I would recommend this trip to anyone that is able to go. It was a lot of fun and I will always remember the lessons I learned. - Hunter Rollings (pictured on the right, 7th grader)

Golden Halo 08

A very big night for Christian school teachers in Southwest Florida. The Golden Halo Awards were held at Pelican Preserve. The Lord has provided many things for our school to be proud of:
- We had our two top ten finalists: Lauren Collins, pictured with her husband, Cameron; and Jonathan Blikstad, pictured with his wife, Beth. The ONLY SCHOOL with two top ten finalists.

- I am also very proud of our students and parents - we had the most teachers nominated with 13 total: our two finalists, Shay Cole, Tina Blanden, Robin Couch, Jennifer Crouch, Amy Jean, Amy Harrington, Stacey Leatherman, Rachel McLaughlin, Ronda Richards, Gayle Shell, and Michele Smith.
- Mrs. Dorothy Gulbronson and Miss April King led our middle school choir who ministered during the ceremony with their black light presentation and did a great job representing the school.

- The video inserted includes the report on Fox-36 after the ceremony. Much to my surprise I found out after the ceremony that they interviewed my daughter. Congratulations to Miss Paula Doll from ECS.

Praise God for a great evening for the school!

Brian Richard's Trip to the Washington D.C. Leadership Conference

(pictured in the front) When I first heard about the trip to Washington, D.C, I was excited and scared at the same time. I had never been to D.C and had always wanted to go. But, at the same time I didn’t want to leave my family and friends for a week. I was also afraid I wouldn’t “fit in” with the other scholars. I decided to go with Hunter and Maria and had a blast! I had an amazing time there, I made many new friends, and learned a lot about our nation’s capitol and history. Our schedule was action packed – we hardly ever had free time. I think that’s part of what made it fun though, we never had a moment to waste and it was always visit after visit after visit.
We saw the White House, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Korean Memorial, Washington Monument, Newsuem (like a museum except with old newspapers, etc.), Harpers Ferry (one of the first battles of the Civil War), and many more things, all in seven days! We visited D.C. and three different states: Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia. They were all wonderful experiences that I will never forget.
Another thing I noticed was the people from different states. Just in my Leadership Focus Group (of 12) we had people from 10 different states! It showed me that we are all the same, even if we are from different walks of life. Everyone was able to communicate and cooperate together no matter where they were from.
In summary, from the JrNYLC trip you learn A LOT. You learn not only about the Nation’s Capitol and history, but moral values too. They teach you about your rights as a minor, and solidify your leadership skills. I would recommend JrNYLC or any other NYLC programs to everyone! Don’t be scared about going, because I know you will have a wonderful experience and will meet lots of people from different walks of life!

Brian Richards
8th grade

Sports Awards Night

Congratulations to our soccer and volleyball players! Many thanks to Mr. O'Brien, coaches, parents, and players.


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Up Against The Wall

Mrs. Mitchell's 6th grade completed their reports on the missionaries - very creative!

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Preschool Harvest Festival

Check out the pictures to the right - if you double-click, you can go to the complete photo gallery! Special thanks to all of the teachers, aides, parents, staff, faculty, and guests for making this a great day for our preschoolers. They had a chance to go on a hayride, build a truck and sports car, plant seeds, paint, play - awesome time!

Maria Goes to Washington

In late October, three FMCS students attended the Junior National Young Leaders Conference (JrNYLC) in Washington D.C. Hereis our first report coming from 8th grader, Maria Swiersz:

My trip to Washington D.C. was the greatest! I learned a lot of history about our nation and how hard many people worked to make it the great country it is today. The Junior National Young Leaders Conference was one of the best experiences I have ever had. The staff at JrNYLC were very good leaders. They did a great job of teaching me how to become a leader who impacts many other people.
JrNYLC was a great conference. When I got on the plane, all of a sudden I got really nervous and scared. Then, when I got to the conference center I was really scared. Once I got in there and checked in, I noticed that the staff was very friendly. I ate some dinner, unpacked, and went to my Leadership Focus Group (LFG). My leader was awesome and my group was great. In LFG’s, we worked on the 6 basic skills of leadership. Each day we chose and worked on one trait. As I learned and analyzed the one trait each day, I learned a lot.

Almost every day we went to a different site or memorial. We went to amazing places. We went into the city, and went to the Library of Congress, Capital Hill, The Newseum, The White House, and The National Art Gallery. We were also able to go to the Lincoln Memorial, The Washington Monument, and the Vietnam and Korean Memorial. My favorite site was Harpers Ferry in West Virginia. We learned about the leader John Brown, and his raid at Harpers Ferry. It was awesome! While we were there we reenacted the raid, and it was VERY cold! The last night we slept over at the Maryland Science Museum. I loved all the sites we saw, and hope to go back and see them again. This was an amazing trip! I learned a lot about leadership. Every skill they taught me I can use here at home for the benefit of others and for the glory of God.

Veterans Day at FMCS 2008

(please note the slide show to the right) What a great day! Instead of taking the day off and totally missing the reason for Veteran's Day, FMCS invited 14 veterans to join us and speak to our kids. They started the day with a special breakfast from the National Junior Honor Society, the national anthem sung by our MS choir, and then they were escorted to their "tour of duty" - 2 classrooms to speak, 40 minutes each about their time in service, what they did in the service, and what it means to be an American. (In the picture on this post, Jim Pancoast talks with the third graders about the day he was there for the Normandy invasion and a promise he made to God in a foxhole)

Each of the veterans were given a "thank you" from the school that included this poem:

Did My Son Have To Die?

Cindy Sheehan asked President Bush, "Why did my son have to die in Iraq?"

Another mother asked President Kennedy, "Why did my son have to die in Vietnam?"

Another mother asked President Truman, "Why did my son have to die in Korea?"

Another mother asked President F.D. Roosevelt, "Why did my son have to die at Iwo Jima?"

Another mother asked President W. Wilson, "Why did my son have to die on the battlefield of France?"

Yet another mother asked President Lincoln, "Why did my son have to die at Gettysburg?"

And yet another mother asked President G. Washington, "Why did my son have to die near Valley Forge?"

Then long, long ago, a mother asked, "Heavenly Father, why did my Son have to die on a cross outside of Jerusalem?"The answers to all these are similar -- "that others may have life and dwell in peace, happiness and freedom."

Thank you to all of our Veterans for being here today!

Second Grade America Day

Second grade enjoyed a HUGE America Day celebration that included: oral and visual presentation on the states - each student had their own PowerPoint presentation; sending e-letters of thanks to our soldiers; a Veteran came and spoke in their classroom; and they enjoyed great American food. I AM VERY PROUD OF A SECOND GRADE CLASS OF STUDENTS THAT GAVE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION IN FRONT OF THEIR PARENTS AND FRIENDS!

Dear FMCS Parents,

I would like to share a letter that I received today. As the school has stated in its correspondence over the past few months, the economy has been tough on all of us and First Assembly of God is no exception. Please read this letter that Pastor Finger sent to our School Board today and I will comment at the end:


Dear FMCS School Board,

I hope you all are having a wonderful Sunday afternoon. I regret to inform you that the church has let me go from my position due to finances effective immediately. It has been a pleasure working for and with all of you. I have grown to love the school and all of the people in leadership. I want to especially thank my secretary Colleen Marinello for the past several years of loyal and faithful service. The school is a better place because of her. In addition I want to thank Mel Mitchell. This school is blessed to have a man with integrity, intelligence and leadership abilities.

My time at FAOG and FMCS has been great. Many ups and downs but never an ounce of regret! Thank you to Pastor Betzer, Pastor Liebe and church council for giving me a ministry position when no one else did.

The school faces some challenges in the future however I believe it will again be the premier Christian School in all of Lee County. I do not know what the future holds for me and my family. Right now I am concentrating on the birth of our second child any day. God is good!

I will be in touch as I do not have another church or ministry position lined up but God is faithful and we will be alright. Take care and may God bless all of you, your families and this great school.

Brian Finger


I want to thank Pastor Finger for all of his time and commitment to FMCS. When the church made a change in his responsibilities over a year ago, it was not in his original job description to oversee the business activities of FMCS. I can proudly say that Pastor Finger took the responsibility and jumped right in 100%! He has been working very hard to try to make FMCS one of the best schools in the area. The positive results of his work will be seen in the months to come. We pray for a blessing for his family and for the Lord to open a door for him and his family as they move on from here. In the months to come, the church will help us regroup with our current staff and personnel. We would ask for your prayers there also.

Mel Mitchell
Principal

Lee County Bookmark Winners

Out of 287 entries received at the downtown branch of the library, three students from Fort Myers Christian School received an honorable mention in the recent Lee County Library bookmark coloring contest that was themed “Book Safari.” A special congratulations to Elijah Benson, Tristan Upton, and Joshua Harvey, all of whom are in Mrs. Robin Couch’s fifth grade class. Mrs. Sherry Hill from the Lee County Library System presented the students with their original bookmark which had been laminated, a ribbon and a certificate at a small ceremony in the elementary library media center on Friday morning. All of the bookmarks entered in the contest will be on display at the downtown library, 2050 Central Avenue, Fort Myers, FL 33901, in the children’s department area from now until the end of the month. The annual contest is open to all third, fourth and fifth grade students in Lee County. All of our qualifying students worked on their bookmarks during three class periods in library class with Miss Jay Shrader. A first, second, third place and six honorable mentions are awarded at each library branch. - submitted by Jay Shrader

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One More Week to Help Build A Well in Africa!

We have only had three days this week to collect coins from the classes for the Africa Oasis Project (see my entry on November 4). SO, Pastor Dave and Mr. Mitchell announced in chapel today that we will extend the drive through next week. We also announced that if:

- $1000 is raised, the teacher with the class with the most money donated will get to put a pie in Mr. Mitchell's face in chapel on 11/19!

- $2000 is raised, the teacher with the class with the most money donated will get to put a pie in Pastor Richard's face!

We had another great lesson on being content today - keep working on that at home too!