Covenant Chronicles

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Covenant Chronicles Vol. 2 Issue 1

October 1, 2012

Student Leadership Committee

On September 7th an assembly was held in the auditorium discussing the reestablishment of the Student Leadership Committee which disbanded over a decade ago. The Student Leadership Committee is composed of students who are nominated by their fellow classmates and appointed by the faculty advisors, which are Mrs. Broadway and Ms. Garcia. The committee is to lead the student body and organize activities for the students, such as social events, community service opportunities, and school promotion in the community. But not just anyone can become part of the committee. There are certain qualifications that must be met in order to join. These qualifications are stated as such: “a student in the ninth through twelfth grades, the nominee must first agree to being appointed, maintain a ‘C’ average (2.0 GPA) or higher, not fail one or more classes in one grading period, and demonstrate Christian conduct and behavior consistent with the standards set by Covenant Christian High School.” The members for the Student Leadership Committee have now been chosen, and they have some general ideas they would like to incorporate. Joshua Berroth, in ninth grade, joined because this would teach Vol. II, Issue 1

leadership skills so he could be prepared for the future. He would like to see more Jeans Days, a baseball team for the school, and make every Friday a minimum day for the secondary students. Ramona Lopez, our eleventh grade candidate, joined because she believed this to be fun, different, and teach skills for the future. She also joined because she enjoys being involved in school activities. She would like to promote the idea of more field trips for the high school students and more Jeans Days. Dara Cale, in twelfth grade, doesn’t want students to think school is boring, but to make it more enjoyable and make kids more comfortable. Scott Nelson, also a senior, joined because this is his last year at Covenant Christian School. He wants to set a good example for the other students and be a leader to them. He seeks to formulate activities that are fun and enjoyable for everyone. In all the Student Leadership Committee provides a chance at leadership and getting the student body’s input on a variety of extracurricular activities. Be sure to speak to the members of the

committee and pitch some of your ideas.

Olivia Roberts

Beginning of Fall / Back to School It is that time of year. The weather is changing, and the days are slowly becoming shorter. Fall has always been a season of change. Change in many things, a sort of continuous metamorphosis of the earth and society. There are two equinoxes in the year: the spring and the fall equinox. In these days, daytime and nighttime last the exact same amount of time. The astronomical fall in the Northern Hemisphere begins Saturday, September 22, 2012 with the autumnal equinox. The fall equinox has been known since ancient times and it has been celebrated in different ways by different cultures. For example, in Japan it is traditional to visit the graves of ancestors around the time of the autumn equinox. Autumn in poetry has often been associated with melancholy. The warmth and energy of summer are gone, and the chill and stillness of winter is on the horizon. Skies turn grey, and many people turn inward, both physically and mentally. We shouldn’t be discouraged by this! A beautiful season, autumn is Page 1

filled with brilliant colors, crisp days, and provides an excuse to enjoy great foods. In more temperate, northern parts of the earth, fall is the time when the leaves of the trees ditch the green and turn into gorgeous reds, yellows and oranges, as if someone had carefully painted the leaves by hand. These colors are actually in the leaves all year long and only become exposed when the green chlorophyll disappears in the fall. Because of its wide variety of trees, the Eastern United States, especially New England, is one of the best places in the world for viewing fall colors. Autumn is also the season of harvest and thanksgiving when we thank God for his blessings.

Finally, the pre-fall season is when many schools around the country go back in session as summer vacations come to an end. This means new challenges and work, but also many new experiences.

During the month of August $2.4 billion was spent at book stores, the strongest sales month of the year, because of the start of the new school years. Apparel stores also do a lurking business around this time of the year as everyone renews their wardrobe. If you feel troubled by missing summer and going back to school don’t worry! In October 2010, 79 million children and adults were Vol. II, Issue 1

enrolled in schools, from nursery school to college, across the country. That figure represents 27 percent of the country’s entire population aged 3 and older. You are not alone. Have a great year!

Diego Davila

Labor Day…What is it Exactly?

What is Labor Day? Labor Day is a national holiday that celebrates the contribution of workers that have helped make America a great nation. It is always celebrated on the first Monday in September. Most people know that Labor Day is a holiday only because they noticed that it said so on the calendar, but most don’t know the history of Labor Day. Who founded Labor Day? What was the first Labor Day like? How do we celebrate Labor Day? Today, there are still some questions about who first proposed the idea of having a holiday to honor the workers of America. Some say that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, was the first person to suggest a holiday for workers. But many people believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, is the first person to suggest a Labor Day holiday. It is recorded that Maguire first proposed the holiday in 1882, as he was serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union (CLU) in New York.

The first Labor Day was celebrated in New York City on Tuesday September 5, 1882. The Central Labor Union decided to celebrate the holiday the same date in 1883. The CLU then decided to celebrate Labor Day on the first Monday of September in 1884. Although a state bill for creating this holiday was first introduced into the New York legislature on February 21, 1887, Oregon was the first state to officially make Labor Day a holiday. During the same year four other states; Colorado, New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, also made observance of the Labor Day a state holiday. By 1894, 23 other states approved the observance of the Labor Day holiday. Well, now that Labor Day is officially a national holiday, how do we celebrate it? When the holiday was first created it was to be celebrated by having a big parade honoring and featuring the workers of America. A festival full of fun and games for the entertainment of the workers and their families was then held following the parade. Today Americans take advantage of the great sales at various stores. Another very popular way of celebrating is by either hosting or attending a Labor Day cookout. Other common ways of celebrating are spending the weekend barbecuing at the beach, relaxing, or even just enjoying your day off with the family. So by next September you will know all about the history of Labor Day and how to celebrate it too!

Ramona Lopez Page 2

Celebrating September 16

apples, raisins, and sugarcane, is also served.

even

The celebration in Mexico City starts around 5 pm on September 15th when people begin to arrive at the zocalo. Many come all dressed in traditional Mexican outfits. For example, men arrive Have you ever wondered what happens during the celebration of independence, in other nations? What about Mexico? The whole month of September is special to Mexico. September 16th is the day Mexico celebrates its independence from Spain in 1810. It is celebrated in every zocalo, the center plaza, of Mexico. Now, how does Mexico celebrate? Well, Mexicans decorate everything in the street, and cook delicious food. Everywhere you look is full of decorations including cars, houses, and streets. There are people all over the country selling sombreros, flags, rehiletes, and balloons with the national colors green, white, and red. The celebration is held in every city zocalo, but the main event is held in the zocalo in Mexico City. Everyone is invited, and people from all ages go to this event. This celebration can be watched on live TV as the president gives a speech. Food is also part of the celebration. There are so many food stands, that it is almost impossible to choose what you want. These food stands are filled with different traditional Mexican food. Ponche, a delicious punch made from fruits like guayaba, Vol. II, Issue 1

dressed as 'Charros', and women arrive dressed as 'China Poblanas'. Now, not EVERYONE comes dressed in this, but the ones who don't have these just come in green, white, and red. While everyone is in the zocalo, there is a live Mariachi band playing for them. You can even have your picture taken on top of a horse with your sombrero! Of course it is just a photography stand. Time goes by so fast that you don't realize the night is almost gone. People just keep pouring in. It seems there is no end to it. Next thing you know you can't even

move. When it is almost 11:00 pm an official arrives at the plaza. The official goes to give the cry of Independence, which is called 'El Grito de Independencia'. This

reminds everyone of when Father Hidalgo got all his followers in one place in Dolores Guanajuato to prepare the fight for independence. It is tradition that Mexico's president delivers this 'grito'(cry) in the zocalo of Mexico City, on top of 'El Palacio Nacional', which means the National Palace. The original bell that Father Hidalgo rung is located here, and this bell is rung at 12 midnight every September 16. At the ringing of the bell everyone screams out the heroes names. These heroes are the heroes of Independence. To end it all, every Mexican wherever they are, scream "VIVA MEXICO! " Once this is over, fireworks cover the sky, and the people thank God for being a free nation. Mexican Independence day is very exciting, and shows the citizen's love for Mexico. Although most Mexicans watch the president's speech on the TV, it is not the same as being in the zocalo in Mexico City. Watching the celebration is not the same as living it. It is very exciting when the president steps forward to give his speech. It is much more exciting being there and actually listening to the bell. It would be a great experience to visit Mexico City at this time.

Tiffany Parga Page 3

Covenant Lions Sports First Volleyball Game of 2012 This year Covenant Christian School has six players on the volleyball team with Scott Nelson coaching them. Scott would like these girls to learn more about each other and improve their skills in volleyball this season. These players are Sarah Shumacher (8th grade), Sierra Platt (8th), Olivia Roberts (11th), Ramona Lopez (11th), Allison Naui (12th), and Dara Cale (12th).

Come out and support your school at the next volleyball game! If the next game is anything like the last game, you will be on the edge of your seat in anticipation the entire time. The games are located at the Salvation Army Gym at 4170 Balboa Ave. The cost is $2 per person or $5 per family. Hope to see you at the next game!!

Brittany Masi

Covenant started strong in their first game of the season against Tabernacle. Dara started the game serving fo Covenant and earned the team two points. Soon we were ahead 7-3. But then Tabernacle got the ball and made six points just in serves. In the course of the game both Allison and Ramona earned their team three points while serving. At one point it was Sarah's turn to serve the ball and Tabernacle was ready and sent it back. Olivia was ready for it when she bumped it to Dara, who bumped it to Ramona, who spiked it over the net earning Covenant another point. Soon however, Tabernacle had a strong lead over Covenant which they were able to keep for the rest of that game. Covenant had a hard time keeping the ball inside the court, many points were given to the other team because of not having careful control over our hits. The first game ended with a score of 18 to 25 with Tabernacle winning. In their second game, Allison made four points for her serves and Dara made five points for hers in the first half of the game. Olivia did very well at bumping the ball to her teammates and following instructions from the other girls, for not having played volleyball since the seventh grade. In this game Covenant got two aces. Again Covenant got an early lead, and the score was 13-9. But then Tabernacle had the ball and made seven points in serves. Covenant learned that they need to be better prepared for incoming serves. We finally gained possession of the ball and Sarah earned three points with her serves. That caught us up, and for the rest of that game we were only one or two points behind Tabernacle. Tabernacle started to get nervous so they became more careful and tried not letting the ball get out of the court. Though Covenant fought hard, they couldn't keep a lead, and the game ended with a score of twenty-five to twenty-seven. Tabernacle won the match. Vol. II, Issue 1

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Boy’s Flag Football: First Game of the Season With the new school year, Covenant Christian School has eight students playing on our junior varsity flag football team. Our team consists of boys from age 11 to 14 years old. Most of the boys on the team, such as Kevin Parga, Peyton Berroth, Sebastian Platt, Nathan Payne, and Mason Cerrillo, have never played football before. Jonathan Roberts and Joshua Berroth played for the CCS flag football team last year. Ronald Vann, a new student at Covenant played football at his previous school. All of the boys were excited to play football because it sounded fun to them and they are able to play with friends. Joshua Berroth said that he was hoping that this year he would be able to play in more than one game! Last year Joshua Berroth broke his ankle towards the end of the first football game of the season, and he could not participate in any more football games. Lord willing, he and the other boys will have no injuries this season. The sun was warmly shining on Friday September 21, 2012; it was the perfect day for football. Our first game was against Tabernacle. Unfortunately, Jonathan could not play in this first game, but hopefully he will be able to play in the next game. Covenant started with the ball in their possession and Peyton as our Quarterback. Peyton handed off the ball to Ronald and he was able to run to the 30 yard line before having his flags torn off. In the next play Peyton kept the ball and ran with it! He faked left and ran down, but his flags were pulled off.

that Tabernacle’s player stopped too soon, Kevin yanked his flags off, thus ending the play. Great heads up play by Kevin! On the next play Tabernacle was heading for a touchdown, but Ronald stopped them. Covenant had the ball on downs; Kevin in the center, snapped the ball to Peyton and Mason blocked one of Tabernacle’s players, clearing the way for Peyton to run to the 30 yard line. Toward the end of the second quarter, Peyton tried to run down the middle but was stopped by a Tabernacle defender and hurt his knee. Peyton continued to play, even though he was in pain. Ronald came in as quarterback during the third quarter. Tabernacle was ahead by quite a bit at this point and scored another touchdown. When they attempted the extra point, Mason had an amazing flag pull, ending the play. The final score was 51-0. It was a tough loss, but a valiant effort on Covenant’s part. The boy’s flag football team should be very proud of the game they played against a bigger and more experienced team. Throughout the game every Covenant team member displayed superb sportsmanship and played to their very best. There are many more games to come in the season, so let’s go root for our teams! Ramona

Lopez

In the second quarter, Peyton threw the ball to Josh, but the ball bounced out of his hands and was intercepted by Tabernacle. Tabernacle ran down the field, but stopped right before the end zone! Realizing

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Book Review: The Jungle by Upton Sinclair Upton Sinclair's 1906 novel, The Jungle, portrays the life of a poor Lithuanian immigrant and his family. The main character, Jurgis Rudkus, settles in Chicago where he and his wife, Ona Rudkus, will both work in unsanitary conditions in meat packing plants until Ona's unfortunate death. The book opens with the wedding of Jurgis and Ona Rudkus. Everyone is having a great time until Jurgis and Ona realize that they have to pay for the wedding themselves, which they cannot afford. When the family finally does get settled, Jurgis gets a job working in a meat packing plant, sweeping the entrails off the floor. Ona at this time is pregnant and gives birth to a little boy, who they name Antanas after Jurgis' father. Ona becomes pregnant again after being raped by her boss. Jurgis went and beat him up, but then was put in jail for assaulting the man. Ona passes away after delivering the baby because she gave birth in a dusty old attic without a doctor to help. This made Jurgis turn to drinking after losing his wife, not having enough money for a doctor, and barely being able to support his family. Jurgis then finds a job at a steel mill, but comes home one day to find his son, Antanas, drowned in the street. To get away from all of these tragic events happening one after another Jurgis goes into the country. He stops at the closest Vol. II, Issue 1

stream to bathe and wash his clothes, then feeling hungry, finds a farmer that sold him dinner and let him sleep in his barn for the night. The farmer offered him a job, but since the farmer could not guarentee that it will last through winter, Jurgis turns down the job. He spends a little more time in the country stealing for food, but returns to Chicago in the fall because of the cold weather. When he returns to town, he finds himself involved with politics and attending Socialist political meetings that emphasize the miserable conditions of life for the common working man. He feels he can really relate to the people in these meetings because he has suffered so much. He spends a great amount of time from then on attending these meetings because he feels at home there. The Jungle is a very well written book that will keep you interested the entire time. If you are a person that likes depressing books, then this is a book for you because it seems that everything that Jurgis goes through is painful. One downside to this story is that there are too many deaths occurring one after another, some of which don't seem very realistic. But I liked Jurgis because he never gave up, always trying to provide for his family, even though he gave in to drinking and stealing a few times. Life is difficult, maybe not as difficult as the book says, but as Christians we know we can get through anything with the help of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Brittany Masi

Movie Review: The Pursuit of Happyness The Pursuit of Happyness is a touching biographical dramatic movie from 2006 based on a true story and starring Will Smith as Chris Gardner, an actual successful investor, stockbroker, spokesman and motivational speaker. Will Smith’s son, Jaden, plays the role of Gardner’s son, Christopher Jr. The story is set in 1981 San Francisco, as the country enters the severe early 1980s economic recession. It revolves around the problems and struggles Gardner had to endure at the beginning of his career. His job at the beginning of the film is to sell high-density bone scanners to hospitals, clinics and doctors. He has invested all of his hard-earned savings in them, but instead of making a big amount of money and helping the family’s finances, these scanners turn out to be a burden due to low demand, and the Gardners still continue to go through tough economic problems. His wife Lynda (played by Thandie Newton) works at a factory and is heavily upset and disappointed at Chris for the poor sales he has made. She finally decides to leave him and move to New York where she has a job opportunity, but Gardner convinces her to let their son Christopher Jr. stay with him. He now faces the challenge of winning a job as a successful stockbroker if he is selected after serving as an intern with Dean Whitter. His experience there will Page 6

be a challenge and he will face homelessness, sleeping in the subway station, bankruptcy, and a great amount of stress. This all happens with his little son by his side. The acting quality of Will Smith in this movie is amazing. In fact, he was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award in the Best Actor category for his performance. He truly expresses his inner and outer feelings throughout the movie. Jaden Smith also makes his acting debut, which is quite good, as is the acting of Thandie Newton. The screenplay seems also very realistic, since it is based on the best-selling memoir written by Gardner. All of the scenes are well done and transmit an air of reality, as many people have gone through this type of crisis. The movie has a very clear and powerful message: to keep following your dreams and goals no matter how hard life seems. Gardner had to face many things a lot of people would deem unbearable. His true story encourages patience, ambition, hard work, and a positive attitude as no one but him trusted he would finally prosper and do what he loves. In the end, this movie does transmit what it needed to and I recommend it for one of those days where real-life drama needs to be seen.

Diego Davila Happy Birthday to You. The month of September marks the beginning of a new school year and contains many important holidays such as Vol. II, Issue 1

Grandparent’s Day, Patriot Day, and Yom Kippur or Rosh Hashanah if you are a Jew. But what about birthdays? Do you take time to even remember your friends’ or fellow classmates’ birthdays? If not, here is a list of all the students with birthdays in September and their favorite hobbies so you will know just what to get them for their special day. Jonathan Roberts‘s birthday is on September 13th. He likes to celebrate by eating dinner with his family and munching on cake afterwards. His hobbies are playing video games, football, and making music with the piano. Next, we have Ty Vann. Ty Vann is a first grader new to Covenant Christian School and seems to be very outgoing and is adjusting well to the school. His birthday is on September 14th and he usually celebrates by going out to eat with both friends and family. His favorite hobbies are playing basketball and coloring. Scott Nelson, one of the seniors, has his birthday on th September 15 . He spent this day first, by participating in a soccer game and afterwards going to the beach. He later went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant called Chipotle Mexican Grill. For his favorite hobbies he stated that “If the beach were a hobby, that would be mine.” He enjoys skim boarding, drawing, surfing, playing the piano, and playing soccer.

Next, there are a few students who share the same birth date. Allison Naui, born on September 16th, spends her birthday with just her family. Her hobbies include singing, reading, and playing with her Miniature Pinscher named Champ. Matthew McManus, also born on September 16th, celebrates with his family. He also prefers chocolate cake. In his spare time he likes playing basketball and talking to his friends on Facebook. Joshua Berroth, the last of our September 16th birthdays, usually goes all-out and throws a party in which he celebrates with his friends and family. He loves playing video games and skateboarding. Dara

Cale was born on September 23rd. She normally celebrates with a small family dinner, but also organizes a separate celebration with just her friends. Her favorite pastimes are drawing and making crafts, which she is very good at. The last of our September birthdays belongs to Natalie Richards. Natalie usually goes out to eat with her friends and family. Her favorite recreations are hideand-go-seek and pin the tail on the donkey. That concludes the list of birthdays for the month of September.

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Are you already thinking about what to get your friends next year? If so, then good. Getting a present or even just getting told “Happy Birthday” is much appreciated. The anniversary of one’s birth is not only a reminder of how old you are, but also of God’s faithfulness and love in sustaining you thus far.

Olivia Roberts

Welcome Back! Remember to do your chapel review. Show your completed answers to Mrs. Broadway and pick something fun out of the treasure box. All grades are welcome to participate!!

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Chapel Questions Grades 1-2: 1. T or F: Pilate is sure Jesus is guilty. 2. T or F: On some level, Pilate recognizes Jesus as the king of Jews. 3. T or F: When Jesus is being accused, He does not defend Himself. 4. Peter denied Jesus ________ times. a. 3 b. 5 c. 0 5. T or F: The priests accused Jesus of several other things. Grades 3-4: 1. Why did the priests want Jesus dead? a. What they accused Jesus of doing was true b. They were afraid and full of envy 2. The Jewish leaders handed over Jesus to the representative of the Roman Emperor. What was the name of this man?_____________ 3. Why doesn't Jesus defend Himself? a. He entrusted Himself to God b. He is afraid c. He does defend Himself 4. What did the crowd respond to Pilate? a. "Let Him go!" b. "Crucify Him!" c. they did not respond 5. T or F: Pilate did all he could to let Jesus go.

Grades 5-6: 1. T or F : The chief priests said that the thief was a better person than Jesus. 2. Pilate gives the crowd a choice, and they have to choose between a thief or Jesus. Sadly the crowd chose the thief. What was the name of this thief? ________________ 3. Who did Pilate care more about, the priests or the crowd? 4. The priests turned in Jesus to ______ (representative of Roman Emperor). Later, the crowd liberated a thief, and _____________(9 letters) Jesus. 5. T or F : Pilate knows Jesus has done NOTHING worthy of death. Grades 7-12: 1. What are hypocrites? 2. What did Pilate ask Jesus? 3. What did Jesus respond? 4. T or F : What we are doing now is training for eternity 5. Who leaves out many details, and gives us the bullet points of the crucifiction? 6. T or F: When Jesus speaks He often speaks from the Psalms. 7. What do we need in order to be godly?

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