Our weekly chapels are one of the most incredible experiences we have at Horizon Christian School. I am always so grateful for our staff's hard work at these special gatherings. Our ability to pause everything else going on and come together as a community to share in the word and expand our faith is one way that sets Christian education apart.
I love the intentionality that goes into each one. In the elementary school, Mr. Cain and his team pour hours into their weekly messages designed to create a passion in our students for the Lord. Their fun visuals, energetic worship, and interaction make each chapel memorable for our elementary students. One of my favorite parts of this job is seeing our youngest generation passionately worshipping God in chapel. If you are feeling a little down, I promise this is a quick way to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit and God’s love for us.
Mrs. Peterson, Mrs. Hiday, and the middle school team have an incredible, creative spirit. I am so impressed with how they can grab the attention of this generation, which can be so challenging. The energy, great speakers, and creative approaches they put together to bring God’s presence into the lives of our students is fantastic. I also love the middle school worship band. Thank you to Mr. Campbell for his heart in partnering with these students to help them grow in their love of Jesus and skill set to help bring worship to the lives of their peers.
Being at the high school since 2006, I have seen the chapels grow into something that I would say is on par with a church service. Under the guidance of Mrs. Rosen and Mr. Craft, the worship team sounds fantastic and leads us all into the presence of the Lord. Mrs. Rosen also leads a group of students who do the lighting, sounds, lyrics, slides, and more that present a complete worship experience. I am so grateful that these students have the opportunities they do to create this experience for the staff and students. The directors meet weekly to plan the messages, themes, and scripture to make God’s word relevant and impactful in the students’ lives.
We take our faith seriously and understand that to be a school that glorifies God, putting the spiritual development of students first is essential. I am so grateful to the students and staff for dedicating their time and talents to create our weekly chapel experiences. If you have never attended one, see if you can come check one out!
This year Horizon Christian High School was blessed to add Amanda Anderson to our teaching staff. Mrs. Anderson joined us to add strength, expertise, and fun to our Spanish classes. Keep reading to learn a little more about this fantastic new addition.
HCS: How long have you been teaching and how did you land on teaching as a career choice?
Mrs. Anderson: I taught for seven years before my three beautiful daughters were born. I was a stay-at-home mom for ten years and now I am back in the classroom! I always knew I wanted to be a teacher but decided to teach high school Spanish after my great experience in my own high school Spanish class. I fell in love with the language and wanted to make language learning fun for others!
HCS: What excites you about teaching and what do you enjoy most about teaching?
Mrs. Anderson: I just love high school students in general. I think spending time with them, pouring into them, and being an encouragement during this phase of life is so important. I also am a major language nerd, so teaching students to speak a second language is so fun for me! I love to use lots of music and games and provide opportunities to use the language in real-life scenarios.
HCS: What attracted you to teach at Horizon Christian School?
Mrs. Anderson: I previously taught in a public high school. I had a great experience there, but the opportunity to speak freely about Jesus in my classroom makes my heart so happy because I wasn't able to do that before. I want to be a teacher students can come to for prayer and guidance! I also have friends on the staff here at Horizon, so jumping on board was an easy choice. God's hand was all over leading me to this opportunity!
HCS: Tell us a little about your family; where were you born and brought up, and what you like to do during your free time?
Mrs. Anderson: I grew up in Oregon City and have lived there my whole life, other than the four years I spent in Seattle at Seattle Pacific University. I am married to my husband Aaron, a youth pastor. We work with middle school and high school age students at our church in Oregon City. Our life is full of fun and adventures, encouraging kids to love the Lord and walk with Him daily. We have three beautiful daughters, Ava (11), Ariel (9), and Amara (6). We just added a little black kitten to the mix. His name is Toby! As a family we love camping in our tent trailer, fishing, baking, gardening, skateboarding (not so much me!), and music. We have family jam sessions and love to sing worship songs together.
We are so grateful for the strength, knowledge, and fun that Mrs. Anderson brings to our second language program and her incredible heart for our students.
This fall our Hawks Rising fund raising goal was $100,000. Not only did we reach our goal on Dec 6th, but we are nearing $150,000 as specific material donations and money continues to come in! We are so grateful for our awesome school community and the many ways that your love and appreciation for Horizon Christian School is expressed. This is the first update for our school community on what donations, purchases and enhancements have been made so far with your donations.
On our elementary and middle school campus we have had several specific parent donations of new carpet for the stairs in the middle school building and a new “9-Square in the Air” play structure. The kids love the 9-square game and it has greatly enhanced the fun and activity level for the middle school students at break and lunch. Special thank you to the parents who donated the supplies and equipment for these two areas.
Other enhancements include office and computer equipment, security cameras within the “D” building, and an additional part-time office/health assistant in the main office. Additionally, we have received a promised donation of 180 surplus Chromebooks from the Lake Oswego School District that will help to reduce the number of Chromebooks we had planned to purchase.
On our high school campus, we have purchased a new upgraded chapel computer to help with the tech side of our student-led chapels, new camera and photography equipment, and several upgraded computers for personnel. In our fine arts department, black accordion walls have been purchased to enhance the experience for the audience at drama performances and art shows. Also added is new curriculum and equipment to instruct art students in the creative skill of woodburning. The students are already enjoying learning this new craft and the fun that these tools have brought.
Additionally, at the high school, new boys varsity basketball uniforms were purchased and a new baseball clubhouse has been built. Coach Sumner has made some major upgrades to our baseball facilities, and we are really excited our team will finally have a clubhouse to call home.
These are just a few of the projects and enhancements that are putting your generous donations to work by, “Investing in our Students for Today and our School in the Future.”
On behalf of Horizon Christian School, we thank you for your generous support which is making such a difference in the lives or our students and staff.
Horizon Christian School was doubly blessed back in January 2021 when Tamara Schlyper became the front desk receptionist at our elementary and middle school. Her two children have since joined the school and we are so happy to have this family as part of our school community. Keep reading to learn a little more about Mrs. Schlyper and why she and her family love Horizon Christian School.
HCS: What influenced your decision to join our school and describe your role and how you serve here?
Mrs. Schlyper: It had always been a dream of mine to work in a school setting alongside my own children, but we never had a firm timeline of when that would happen or where we felt called. We began praying for a door to open for us. One night I decided to browse the Horizon website as I'd always heard great things about the school and had church friends that attended and loved it. I clicked on "Employment" and realized the door the Lord wanted me to walk through was applying for this position! I like to think of my role as manning the Command Center!! My daily tasks range anywhere from attendance and general clerical work, to nurse and ad-lib counselor. As the first person you see when you enter our school, I love that I get to warmly welcome parents and students alike. My goal is to know every student's name and I'm happy to report that I'm nearly there!
HCS: What key factors influenced your choice to enroll your child at Horizon Christian School?
Mrs. Schlyper: We wanted a place where our children were more than just a number, but rather are treated as unique individuals with limitless potential. Horizon teachers struck us as being motivated and engaged in their classrooms - which was a dramatic difference from what we were experiencing in public school during 2020. Even with the challenges of COVID, at Horizon Christian we saw teachers lifting that burden from students and renewing a sense of normalcy to their classrooms. We also noticed (and appreciated) the emphasis that teachers and staff put on teaching and cultivating Christian principles in a secular world.
HCS: Has Horizon Christian lived up to your expectations both as an employee and a parent?
Mrs. Schlyper: Everything we had hoped and prayed for with our transition to Horizon has come to fruition. We have teachers that actively champion our children’s success. We have staff that are dedicated to the school and its mission statement, and who work unbelievably hard to keep our kids in the best learning environment possible. We have parents who partner with the school to cultivate beneficial and harmonious relationships. We could not be happier.
HCS: How has Horizon Christian helped your children adjust to their new school?
Mrs. Schlyper: From day one, the administrators, teachers, and aides all went out of their way to welcome our children and create a smooth transition for them. One of the best ways they did this was by simply getting to know our kids and taking the time to truly invest in who they are as individuals. Now, they walk into school every day feeling confident because they are secure in their place at Horizon.
HCS: What has been some of your most memorable moments at Horizon Christian so far?
Mrs. Schlyper: I loved touring both the 2nd grade country projects and 3rd grade state projects. I made it a point to stop by each child's work and ask at least one question.They were all so proud of their work, which was such a strong reflection of the dedication these teachers had to engaging them in this assignment. Their excited squeals when they saw me approaching, "Mrs. Schlyper! Come check out Sweden! And China! And North Dakota!" are happy memories I will always hold dear in my heart.
HCS: What has been your children's most memorable moments so far at Horizon Christian?
Mrs. Schlyper: Chapel! Getting to worship alongside friends and teachers/aides has been very meaningful for both of our kids. They always have a LOT to share around the dinner table on Chapel Wednesdays.
HCS: In your opinion what do students get at Horizon Christian that they will not get somewhere else?
Mrs. Schlyper: Class sizes that promote one-on-one learning, individual attention, and relationship building. My kids love coming to school not just because of their friends, but also because of a loving staff that makes them feel like they are at home. Staff that nurtures their faith!
HCS: What would you tell a family/parent contemplating whether to enroll their student at Horizon Christian School?
Mrs. Schlyper: As someone who both works at the school and has children attending, I can say with confidence that this school is exactly the place where we want our children to learn and grow. The integrity of the staff and teachers, the dedication from all levels of employees, and the commitment to putting Christ first is front and center in all we do. I'm so grateful to be a part of the Horizon family. As an employee, I can confidently say that after seeing what goes on "behind the scenes," I am so thankful that my children attend this school. I don't think a day goes by that I don't proclaim, "I love the Horizon team!"
Through the love and kindness of friends and strangers, our own drama teacher, Ms. Shaner was the recipient of a Christmas Miracle! Keep reading the news release below to hear how 96.3 WayFM & Horizon Christian School surprised her with a new car!
Tualatin, OR— December 17th, 2021 — 96.3 WayFM and Horizon Christian School surprised Middle School Drama Teacher, Ms. Sandy Shaner, with a car, over $3,000 in listener-raised donations, and other gifts!
After a scheduled fire-drill, Elementary & Middle-School Principal, Judi Smith, announced that a special surprise was about to happen and that the school had partnered with 96.3 WayFM to gift a teacher with a car and donations. 96.3 WayFM Promotions Director, Dustin Donnor, then asked Ms. Shaner to please come forward to accept a 2006 Toyota Camry and a check. At this point, all in attendance were in tears and cheering for Ms. Shaner.
“When we became aware of Ms. Shaner’s need for a reliable vehicle to get to her multiple jobs, provide for her son as a single-mom, and visit her sister dying of cancer who is not expected to make it to Christmas,” said Mr. Donnor, “we were inspired to partner with Horizon and get her story out to our listeners. We knew our listeners would be eager to join us in creating this surprise for her. The response from our audience was humbling as listeners from 20 states donated to the project.”
Ms. Shaner was not aware of the surprise and was greatly moved at the generosity and love our of the donors. In-between tears of joy, Ms. Shaner praised God, thanked everyone for their love and support and said this was the second-happiest moment of her life, following closely behind the late-in-life miracle birth of her son.
What a beautiful Christmas miracle this is for our beloved teacher, Ms. Shaner. Thank you to 96.3 WayFM, all your wonderful listeners, and the Horizon Christian School Community for blessing one of our own!