Search Results: STEM
Walking through the halls of EMS during class time you hear melodic voices singing, band instruments blending, and young minds engaging in discussions. Tucked in a side hall you find the robotics workshop classroom where Mr. Carini fosters creativity and problem solving skills through hands-on learning in robotics 1 and…
Student volunteers kept approximately 385 lbs. of waste out of the local landfill this fall by collecting and composting the “clamshell” containers used for lunch. The containers were a new addition to school lunches as part of COVID-mitigation efforts, which have served the school well, but added a significant amount…
Experiential and hands-on learning have always been a crucial aspect of the EMS academic curriculum. A variety of classes embody this practice, but Kevin Carini’s robotics and intro into programming classes are among the best. With students of varied skill, interest, and age levels, there is always a multitude of…
This is a joint release of Eastern Mennonite School and Secure Futures Solar Eastern Mennonite School has signed an agreement with Secure Futures Solar of Staunton to install and operate solar panels on its Harrisonburg campus.Together, solar arrays will generate a total capacity of 136 kilowatts of power, more than…
This scholarship is generously funded by Blauch Brothers Mechanical Contractors of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Preference will be given to students with annual STEM-related (science, technology, engineering, and math) courses and interest, and especially those who would like to explore vocational training in the trades. Recipients of the Blauch Brothers STEM Scholarship…
Hands-on work — whether it’s with art supplies or circuitry — engages students of varied interests in the seventh grade STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) class at Eastern Mennonite School. The daily course builds — loosely — on concepts covered in the middle school science curriculum. “It’s a…
Deadline for Scholarships Feb. 28 (recipients will be notified starting March 15) Eastern Mennonite School prioritizes affordability for families, recognizing that investing in education is an investment in a child’s future. EMS strives to make quality education accessible to all. There are various scholarship opportunities available to students grade 9-12…
Academics Dynamic strategic plan Note: EMS underwent an accreditation visit and review in the fall of 2023 through the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. As part of this process and through a community survey in 2022, we affirmed and updated our vision and mission, and crafted a new dynamic strategic…
Every fall, each Eastern Mennonite Elementary classroom creates a collaborative piece of artwork. This fundraiser brings together the creative imaginations of each grade guided by EMES art teacher Erin Williams. This year’s elementary artwork will land in someone’s lucky home by raffle in time for Christmas! This year’s pieces and…
Academics Each year since the first graduating class of Eastern Mennonite High School in 1921, the senior class has collected donations from class members to provide the school with a gift for future generations to enjoy. 2023 — Chess set and furniture for the library classroom 2022 — Electric car…
Students in this spring’s Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) class at Eastern Mennonite School constructed 10 exterior and 18 interior walls that will be transported to Hurley, Virginia, for a new home in a community still recovering from an August 2021 flood. The project is a culmination of a trimester’s work…
The FIFA World Cup soccer tournament — set to kick off in Qartar on Sunday, Nov. 20 — is creating a buzz at Eastern Mennonite School, from both a fun and serious perspective. The soccer-loving school, which marked its 1,000th boys varsity soccer match this past season, will stream World…
More than 300 linear feet of shelving space – the length of a soccer field — are now dedicated to housing the choral sheet music library at Eastern Mennonite School’s choral room for grades six-12. The installation came over the summer with volunteer vision, labor, and talent when an upgrade…
A record turnout of 40 teams and more than 150 golfers enjoyed ideal spring weather for the annual Fore the Flames Golf Tournament, raising more than $38,000 for student financial aid and the athletics program. The tournament took place April 29 at Heritage Oaks Golf Course in Harrisonburg and was…
Kindergarten through grade 12 students are “picking up STEAM” — that’s STEM with an “A”– at Eastern Mennonite School. STEM is quickly recognized by most people as coursework that emphasizes Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. STEAM — with an “A” — adds “the arts” into the mix. Students in Sarah…
“You are a piece of the puzzle for a better future.” This is the message that 10 Eastern Mennonite School ninth and tenth grade students absorbed from Black community leaders and Civil Rights veterans during an E-term trip to Alabama and Mississippi, March 30-April 4. Talking with people who marched…
When the Flames hosted the VISAA DIII quarter final game at home on March 2, a white-out pack-the-gym contest brought out so much support that the opposing team’s coach told Andrew Gascho, EMS athletic director, he’d never seen a better atmosphere for a high school basketball game. That game launched…
Kendal Bauman has been was recognized by the Boy Scouts of America, Massanutten District, with the Elbert K. Fretwell Outstanding Educator Award for the 2021-22 school year. The award celebrates educators who model and encourage students to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes. The EMS Strategic Leadership Team…
Service both within the school, in the community and beyond is part of the culture at Eastern Mennonite School. So far this fall: K-5 partnered with Harrisonburg City Schools for a clothing drive to provide warm clothes for newcomers to the community 6th grade raked leaves for neighbors in Park…
EMES Art Raffle Every fall, each Eastern Mennonite Elementary classroom creates a collaborative piece of artwork. This year’s elementary artwork will land in someone’s lucky home by raffle! Each painting is described below. All proceeds benefit the EMES art department. Congratulations to our winners! Kindergarten – Rebecca Brannon 1st grade –…
Interview with Joelle Blosser by Paul Leaman at a recent virtual event in October 2021 Mr. Leaman’s questions | Joelle Blosser’s response Joelle’s a fantastic representative of our student body. She’s heavily engaged in different things from music to athletics, and I just have a few questions for her. She’s…
In his fifth year at EMS, Kevin Carini is now teaching capacity classrooms in Robotics I – IV. The robust program is what he envisioned when he was hired in 2017 to teach physics and chemistry. The classes are offered in the MakerSpace classrooms that alumni will remember as the…
Periodically, Eastern Mennonite School highlights the accomplishments of alumni in the field of science. The recognitions, begun by long-time biology teacher, Myron Blosser ’79, have included a visit to the school to inspire future scientists. During his tenure, Blosser inspired dozens of graduates to pursue careers in biology and other…
After 33 years of teaching history and Bible classes at Eastern Mennonite School, Elwood Yoder is ready to “re-wire” — not retire — for a new chapter of history making. In this chapter, Yoder will focus full time on his loves of research, writing, and church history. He will partner…
Ingenuity — along with technical know-how, 1,000 feet of microphone cable, an FM radio transmitter, four sound boards, seven speakers, two stereos, a lot of small rooms, and perseverance — were required for EMHS Touring Choir to rehearse safely indoors this winter. After last fall semester’s Touring Choir section rehearsed…
Four EMS students supported an effort to help re-introduce the American Chestnut tree to U.S. soil on a recent chilly Saturday morning in a mountain forest in Hopkins Gap, Virginia, near Gospel Hill Church. The student volunteers, who have all been active in the school’s sustainability and service efforts, were…
This article, by Arwen Hertzler ’21, was original published in the January 2021 issue of Windsock. At the request of EMS’ Athletics Department, Ms. Gascho, art teacher, and a group of four talented student artists have agreed to create a mural in the EMS gym to support the school’s athletes.…
This article by Kathleen Shaw was originally published in the Daily News-Record on Feb. 4, 2021. See a gallery of the show’s pieces here. Every year, OASIS Fine Art and Craft dedicates its upper level gallery space to showcase the work of local art students for one month. But one…
A look at the content that engaged Eastern Mennonite School audiences throughout 2020 captures a year that some would rather forget. It was also a year that taught us how much we care for each other, how creative and committed we are, how strong we are, and how much we…
Choral singing is one of the most effective ways to spread COVID-19. That reality hit EMS hard, a place where singing together has been core to building community for more than 100 years. But Jared Stutzman, choral director, and student singers are not letting COVID get them down. “I continue…
Editor’s Note: Ongoing data on the array, including a real time data displaying amounts of energy being harnessed, can be found on the EMS Solar Page. Dozens of volunteers — students, faculty, staff, community members, parents and grandparents — joined a “solar barn raising” on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020 to…
D. Keith and Ellen (Slabaugh) Helmuth, of Woodstock, New Brunswick, Canada, are being honored with the Eastern Mennonite School Lifetime Service Award for 60 years of professional and personal engagement in care for creation. Both are members of the class of 1955. “They were environmentalists before it was popular,” wrote…
Focusing on relationships is key to de-escalating tensions in contentious times. This was the takeaway that faculty and staff heard during a seminar — held virtually via Zoom — on building community in times of polarization on August 20, before students returned to school. David Brubaker, organizational consultant and dean…
Clean and fresh air — comfortably warmed or cooled — is important any time for optimal learning and health. But this year, with COVID-19 virus precautions, air quality is taking extra effort. Read below about the six-pronged approach EMS is taking for cleaning and circulating healthy air in our buildings…
Parent & Student Account Access: These links and services are accessible through the Parental Portal Schoology – Learning management system for M.S. and H.S. students and parents to view assignments and grades. FACTS – Manage tuition accounts, financial aid processing, and billing. Contact Susie Hardy with questions. MealTime (optional) –…
Three weeks after the death of George Floyd and two days after the school’s outdoor COVID-19- adjusted graduation ceremonies, Eastern Mennonite School launched a new Racial Equity Working Group, which builds on past work of a Diversity Committee, as well as ongoing restorative justice initiatives. “The time is long overdue…
Dozens of volunteers — students, faculty, staff, community members, parents and grandparents — joined a “solar barnraising” on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020 to install 357 solar panels atop the school’s upper building in a little less than four and a half hours. The solar array will offset nearly a third…
Equity Work The EMS Equity Group is made up of faculty representatives from each division, the high school counselor, K-8 and high school principals, the admissions counselor, and director of advancement. The group is a place to give focused attention to the school’s efforts to continually grow in its vision…
The class of 2020 called Shannon Roth, government and US history teacher, and senior class sponsor, to share the commencement address at their outdoor socially distanced graduation, amidst a global pandemic. Uncomfortable? Lean in! First, I want to share with you something that Mrs. Seitz reminded me this morning: you…
Eastern Mennonite High School’s 39 seniors joined the millions across the country in one-of-a-kind commencement exercises this year. On Saturday, June 13, the school’s faculty and administration joined families in celebrating students’ accomplishments and conferring degrees following weeks of building closure due to the coronavirus. Student speakers were valedictorian Abby…
On Monday, June 1, 2020, Paul Leaman, head of school, shared the following message with EMS students (grades 9-12) and parents, following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, while in police custody. Our classrooms and community gatherings such as Chapel and Neighbor Groups for grades 6-12, and…
The spring 2020 EMHS National Honor Society induction ceremony moved to a virtual format in light of the school closure due to conroavirus. The virtual induction ceremony included the following letter by Justin King, high school principal, and video comments by Elwood Yoder, NHS sponsor, and Wendy Stapleton, former EMS…
Sleeping in, reading for fun, hours outside… Along with all of this, EMS students continue to grow academically, socially and emotionally, through virtual community at Eastern Mennonite School this spring during the COVID-19 closure. Some students wish for more online school work, while other students — and stressed parents —…
The application deadline for two scholarship opportunities for new high school students to Eastern Mennonite School for the 2020-21 school year has been extended to March 31, 2020. The Blauch Brothers STEM Scholarship is new in the 2020-21 academic year, thanks to a partnership with Blauch Brothers Mechanical Contracting Services.…
More than 30 Eastern Mennonite School K-12 administrators, faculty and staff participated in the Mennonite School’s Council biennial conference February 7 and 8. In addition to the formal input, the time away provided time for EMS staff to relax and reflect together. Following is a report by Camille Dager of…
Spheres with blinking lights… what fourth grader could resist this ball of creativity and learning? Thanks to generous donors, there are plenty of Sphero Bolts to go around at Eastern Mennonite Elementary School. The small robots allow children to channel their ideas into reality, creating private games, secret codes and…
Eastern Mennonite School is committed to working with families to make attendance at our school as affordable as possible, keeping in mind that families are investing in their child’s growth and education when they pay tuition. Deadline for Scholarships Feb. 28 (recipients will be notified starting March 15) Scholarship Opportunities…
Three speakers and a film helped Eastern Mennonite middle and high school students think about concepts like implicit bias and their own institution’s history of integration as part of MLK Day observations in mid January. Christian Early, PhD, introduced Daniel Kahneman’s two systems of thinking: “Thinking Fast” (system one) and…
Fifth grade students recently learned about their own hearts and the human circulatory system during a “clinic hour” hosted by high school anatomy and physiology students. The A&P students had created a heart model earlier in class to demonstrate how the heart regulates the blood flow and circulation through the…
Students in grades K-12 raised more then $1,700 to support the restorative justice ministries of Just Coffee and Tea in downtown Harrisonburg. The Spirit Week fundraiser included themed dress up days and baked goods, sponsored by the Student Council Organization. “This support means more than you can imagine,” said Amanda…
Waega Samwel, a teacher from Nyantira Mennonite Academy in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, is serving EMS this year as teacher assistant and administrator Intern. Mr. Samwel is in the United States as part of the International Visitor Exchange Program of Mennonite Central Committee. During a recent chapel, Lee Good, science…
Middle and high schoolers tackle computer coding at JMU This article was originally published in The Breeze, the student newspaper at James Madison University. Congratulations to Mason Ritchie ’23, who earned third place in the competition. Perry Shank ’94, computer science teacher at Harrisonburg High School, led the event along…
For more than 15 years, EMHS has taken upper level science students to study at the Chesapeake Bay each fall. This year’s trip went to Tylerton on Smith Island, Maryland. Participants studied the ecology of multiple ecosystems, their connections to human populations throughout the watershed, and how what happens on…
Eastern Mennonite School emphasizes hands-on learning, even when it involves slippery, slimy creatures. As part of our sixth graders’ year-long study of the life cycle of our area trout population, the class visited Reed’s Creek Fish Hatchery in Franklin, West Virginia, in September. Some students enjoyed the “hands on” part…
Shifting Climates, a podcast produced by Michaela Mast ’13 and colleagues, launched its second season earlier this month featuring interviews gathered from New Haven, Connecticut, to Flagstaff, Arizona, including among Native American elders. The podcast, which Michaela produces along with Harrison Horst and Sarah Longenecker, aims to “re-humanize the conversation”…
Discovery 2019 took 20 students across the country and back again from June 4 to 29. They learned about land and water issues, immigration, Native communities, resource management, energy consumption and more. They read articles to prepare for each stop along the way so they could bring questions, listen carefully,…
Thanks to the tenacity and vision of teacher Kevin Carini, Eastern Mennonite School has received its third grant to continue to build its maker space and robotics program. The newest grant comes from the GE Additive Education Program, “a global STEM initiative to build an ecosystem for 3D printing in…
Dave Bechler’s extensive contribution to regional and state-wide athletics competition has been marked this spring by Blue Ridge Conference, Virginia Independent Conference and Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA). After 23 years as EMS athletic director at Eastern Mennonite School, Dave will pursue new professional endeavors at the end of…
Eastern Mennonite High School biology students have the opportunity to pursue independent research under the direction of Dr. Wendy Stapleton, biology teacher, in conjunction with area universities. The research often begins in a scientific research methods course where students learn to design and implement their own scientific study, explains Stapleton.…
Eastern Mennonite High School chemistry students participated in a second-year college level chemistry lab at James Madison University on April 4 as part of their dual enrollment chemistry class with Kevin Carini. In preparation for the visit to the JMU lab, the EMHS students have been studying organic functional groups…
Eating together builds community Our dining hall staff prepares nutritious homemade meals daily. Most menu items are made from scratch, or freshly baked each morning, including homemade desserts and cookies. Each meal provides the required food groups, meeting FDA regulations and recommendations, and other compliance standards. Hot lunch and salad…
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High school students interested in a month-long, cross-country group learning experience about land and water resources are invited to apply to join the 2019 Eastern Mennonite High School Discovery trip. A limited number of spaces remain available on the biennial excursion. Students currently in 10th, 11th or 12th grade are…
Each year, EMS upperclassmen are offered the opportunity to embark on experiential learning trips in the month of June. On even years, the Touring Choir travels in Europe, singing in cathedrals, learning about European culture from host families, teaching music to school children, and seeing the wondrous sights. On odd…
EMS has a long history of welcoming international students from many countries including Albania, China, Colombia, Germany, Iran, Israel, Korea, Paraguay, Nigeria, and South Africa. We accept international applications for grades 9-12. Admissions We are located two hours by car from Washington, D.C., and are near several colleges and universities.…
Thank you for your interest in Eastern Mennonite School, one of the oldest private schools in Harrisonburg, VA! Domestic student inquiries for the 2023-24 school year, please email admissions@easternmennonite.org or call 540-236-6021. Space is limited! Admissions applications for the 2024-25 school year will open November 1, 2023. International student inquiries,…
With Artificial Intelligence on the rise, Kevin Carini brings hands-on experience with robotics to Eastern Mennonite School, preparing students for the future. “There’s going to be robots doing something in most households in the not-too-distant future,”he reflects. “Somebody needs to know how to code them and fix them. That’s really…
Note: Hannah Cranston ’09 Godwin shared this reflection from Pittsburgh, where she is a Youth Care Worker at Holy Family Institute’s Journey of Hope Program. She went to Pittsburgh to work with refugee resettlement efforts through Compass AmeriCorps. Regarding the experience of living near the Tree of Life Synagogue and…
J. Ernest (Ernie) Martin’s distinguished career demonstrates the positive impact a dedicated teacher can make in the lives of students. In three Christian schools spanning 42 years, Ernie’s remarkable legacy stands as an example that has inspired many students and influenced the work of a host of teachers. In celebration…
A 10-year-old giant dove puppet made of chicken wire, four old bedsheets and other recycled materials led the way once again for the Eastern Mennonite Elementary School annual peace parade to mark the UN International Day of Peace. As is tradition, fifth graders planned the event which started with the…