Fresno Christian High School
Superintendent	Mrs. Debbie Siebert
Principal	Mr. Todd Bennett
Academic advisor	Mrs. Molly Sargent
Motto	"Committed to Excellence"
Established	1977
School Type	Private
Grades	9th through 12th
Street Address	7280 N. Cedar Ave. (36°50.596′N 119°45.292′W)
Location	Fresno Fresno, California Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation... , California, U.S.
Phone	(559) 299-1695
Fax	(559) 299–1051
Email	fcs@fresnochristian.com
Student Body	Approximately 300
Faculty/Staff	Approximately 20
Mascot	Eagle Eagle Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in... s
School Colors	Maroon, Black, Silver
Website	http://www.fresnochristian.com
Online Newspaper	http://www.thefeather.com

Fresno Christian High School (abbr. FCHS) is a private, Christian high school sponsored by 12 evangelical

Evangelicalism

Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...

 churches, located in Fresno

Fresno

Fresno is the fifth largest city in California.Fresno may also refer to:-Places:Colombia* Fresno, TolimaSpain* Fresno, a ghost village in Nidáliga, Valle de Sedano, Burgos* Aldea del Fresno, Madrid* Fresno de la Vega, Ribera del Esla, León...

, California, United States. The high school is a division of Fresno Christian Schools, offering various classes from Kindergarten

Kindergarten

A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...

 through Grade 12. Grades 3–12 share a campus with The Peoples Church at 7280 N. Cedar Ave., while grades K-2 are located at the Northeast Campus at 4815 E. Holland Ave. FCS offers a comprehensive Christ-centered program that ministers to the total person – spiritual, mental, physical, and social in conjunction with the home and church. FCS is committed to providing quality education in a distinctively Christian environment.

History

Although conceived several years earlier, Fresno Christian Schools finally became a reality in 1977. Founded by seven local churches, the school aims to provide a quality learning environment and encourage God’s word within the classroom. In 1977, the school began classes, with 135 students in grades K-6. Now, the school continues to provide Christian educations to over 700 students in grades K-12, spread over two campuses. The student body typically represents over 100 different churches, and includes students from as far as Kerman

Kerman, California

Kerman is a city at the intersection of State Route 180 and State Route 145 in Fresno County, California, USA. The population was 13,544 at the 2010 census. Kerman is located west of Fresno, at an elevation of 220 feet ....

, Kingsburg

Kingsburg, California

Kingsburg is a city in Fresno County, California. Kingsburg is located southeast of Selma at an elevation of 302 feet , on the banks of the Kings River. The city is half an hour away from Fresno, and two hours away from the California Central Coast and Sierra Nevada Mountain Range...

, Sanger

Sanger, California

Sanger is a city in Fresno County, California, United States. The population was 24,270 at the 2010 census, up from 18,731 at the 2000 census. Sanger is located east-southeast of Fresno, at an elevation of 371 feet .- Geography :...

, Selma

Selma, California

Selma is a city in Fresno County, California. The population was 23,219 at the 2010 census, up from 19,240 at the 2000 census. Selma is located southeast of Fresno, at an elevation of 308 feet .-Geography:...

, and Madera

Madera, California

Madera is a city in and the county seat of Madera County, California, United States. It is a principal city of the Madera–Chowchilla Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Madera County, and Metropolitan Fresno. It is located in California's San Joaquin Valley. As of the 2010...

. FCS has been recognized nationally as an example of how Christians can cooperate to provide a quality alternative Christian school for a total community.

Mission

The Mission of Fresno Christian Schools is to equip young people for life and service for Jesus Christ through biblical foundations, character

Moral character

Moral character or character is an evaluation of a particular individual's durable moral qualities. The concept of character can imply a variety of attributes including the existence or lack of virtues such as integrity, courage, fortitude, honesty, and loyalty, or of good behaviors or habits...

 development, and academic preparation in partnership with the home and local church.
FCS gives special attention to meeting the spiritual

Spirituality

Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...

, moral, academic, and physical

Human body

The human body is the entire structure of a human organism, and consists of a head, neck, torso, two arms and two legs.By the time the human reaches adulthood, the body consists of close to 100 trillion cells, the basic unit of life...

 needs of the student both in the formal classroom setting and in extracurricular and social activities.

Church Involvement

The Peoples Church hosts Fresno Christian Junior/Senior High School (grades 7–12) and Fresno Christian Elementary (grades 3–6) at the Cedar Avenue campus. In addition to providing location, The Peoples Church is also a founding partner of Fresno Christian Schools.

Administrative & Office Staff

Fresno Christian High School inherits some administrators from the parent association, Fresno Christian Schools. These shared administrators are denoted with an asterisk.
The current FCHS administrative staff is as follows:

• Debbie Siebert, Superintendent *
• Todd Bennett, Principal
• Molly Sargent, Academic advisor
• Brenda Warkentin, Administrative Assistant, Registrar Grades 7–12
• Michelle Regnerus, Secretary

Yearbook

The Shield, Fresno Christian High School's annual yearbook

Yearbook

A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. Virtually all American, Australian and Canadian high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks...

 publication, is written and designed by a group of about 12 students led by advisor Molly Sargent. The Shield has received numerous awards and recognition by various scholastic press associations both locally and nationally. Approximately 250 yearbooks are ordered annually, and the yearbook fee is included with the yearly tuition beginning fall 2008. The yearbooks are published by Jostens

Jostens

Jostens is an American company providing yearbooks and class rings for various high schools and colleges as well as championship rings for sports, including the Super Bowl rings....

.

Newspaper

Fresno Christian's award-winning newspaper, The Feather, is currently advised by Greg D. Stobbe (16th year). He is also a board member of the Journalism Education Association. The newspaper staff is co-led by editor-in-chiefs Mary Hierholzer and Nick Avery. As of November 2011, The Feather Online staff numbers in excess of 34 members, whose goal is to "reflect, represent, inform, and entertain the student body through the campus news, features, profiles, and sports activities." The Feather Online is a daily newspaper, which published over 600 articles during the 2010–11 school year. This does not include the game-by-game accounts of each varsity sporting event, television shows or other weekly events.

The National Scholastic Press Association

National Scholastic Press Association

The National Scholastic Press Association is a nonprofit organization founded in 1921 for high school and secondary school publications in the United States. The association is membership-based and annually hosts high school journalism conventions across the country...

 honored The Feather Online as an "All-American" online high school newspaper during its fall critiques in 2010 and 2011. A single judge reviews the past year but specifically focuses on the first months of the new school year in the annual evaluation. In the fall 2011 assessment, The Feather Online was given the NSPA's highest recognition, earning Five Marks of Distinction. The campus paper received scores of 900/1,000 in coverage and content, 900/1000 in interactivity and community, 350/500 in breaking news, 900/1000 in design and navigation, 400/500 in rich media and 200/200 in minor categories.

For the second time in campus history, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association

Columbia Scholastic Press Association

The Columbia Scholastic Press Association is an international student press association, founded in 1925, whose goal is to unite student journalists and faculty advisers at schools and colleges through educational conferences, idea exchanges, textbooks, critiques and award programs...

 at Columbia University

Columbia University

Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...

 in New York City honored The Feather Online their top award. The CSPA awarded The Feather Online a Gold Crown in March 2011 along with 8 other high school newspapers from across the United States, including one other from California. For a detailed listing of the winners, visit the CSPA site for the Online High School Finalists. In March 2010 The Feather won its first Gold Crown and was honored with a Silver Crown in February 2009. In 2009, the Crown award was only presented to the top seven high school online publications, one of which being The Feather.

For the third time in campus history, The Feather Online was awarded an online Pacemaker in Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...

, from the National Scholastic Press Association

National Scholastic Press Association

The National Scholastic Press Association is a nonprofit organization founded in 1921 for high school and secondary school publications in the United States. The association is membership-based and annually hosts high school journalism conventions across the country...

, April 17, 2010. There were a total of 12 Pacemakers given but The Feather was the only California school to win an online Pacemaker this year out of the 26 finalists. The Fresno Bee

The Fresno Bee

The Fresno Bee is the daily newspaper serving Fresno, California and surrounding counties in that U.S. state's San Joaquin Valley. It is owned by The McClatchy Company and ranks fourth in circulation among the company's newspapers....

 honored The Feather by giving the high school newspaper a Thumbs up, in the April 24 editorial outlining The Feather's nomination in the Opinions section for both the 2010 Pacemaker and Gold Crown awards.

On April 19, 2008, The Feather Online was recognized as one of the best online high school newspapers in the United States by the National Scholastic Press Association

National Scholastic Press Association

The National Scholastic Press Association is a nonprofit organization founded in 1921 for high school and secondary school publications in the United States. The association is membership-based and annually hosts high school journalism conventions across the country...

 in Anaheim, CA. This is the second time The Feather Online has won the prestigious Pacemaker award. The first time was in April 2006. The Fresno Bee

The Fresno Bee

The Fresno Bee is the daily newspaper serving Fresno, California and surrounding counties in that U.S. state's San Joaquin Valley. It is owned by The McClatchy Company and ranks fourth in circulation among the company's newspapers....

 printed an article, High school newspaper earns shot at award, March 5 outlining The Feather's nomination in a Metro article for a Pacemaker award. The article may be found in the Local & State section of the Bee on page B2. The Feather Online was also nominated for a 4th straight Pacemaker in February 2009 but did not win its 3rd title at the NSPA convention in April.

The online edition has received many additional awards, including winning the National Scholastic Press Association

National Scholastic Press Association

The National Scholastic Press Association is a nonprofit organization founded in 1921 for high school and secondary school publications in the United States. The association is membership-based and annually hosts high school journalism conventions across the country...

's 2006 Online Pacemaker. During the fall 2007 semester, Feather staff writers created 250 articles

Article (publishing)

An article is a written work published in a print or electronic medium. It may be for the purpose of propagating the news, research results, academic analysis or debate.-News articles:...

 in an effort to become a daily publication of Fresno Christian High School. The Feather Online unveiled a new, updated version in late January 2007 (http://www.thefeather.com).

Feather authors' works have been featured in publications other than The Feather, including Sydney Ray's Piece "The Upside to Down Syndrome" in PBS NewsHour Extra: Student Voice.

Feather reporters were also recognized by a national online publication in the 2007 fall semester. While The Feather does not always participate in the National Edition, the staff had 35 articles selected by the National Edition online newspaper during 14 consecutive weeks of publication. As of mid December, 20 different Feather reporters were honored by this selection. The National Edition is a national high school publication sponsored by the American Society of Newspaper Editors

American Society of Newspaper Editors

The American Society of News Editors is a membership organization for editors, producers or directors in charge of journalistic organizations or departments, deans or faculty at university journalism schools, and leaders and faculty of media-related foundations and training organizations...

. The National Edition began publication in September 2003 and publishes about 30 articles each week, drawing from over 665 high school online publications. In addition to providing daily news, The Feather recently began podcasting

Podcasting

A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...

 in the fall of 2007.Feather podcasts can also be found on iTunes

ITunes

iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....

. Many the Feather staff has also begun blogging. Current Feather blogs include From the Editor's Desk by The Feather's editors, Leadership by Elizabeth Grossman, As the Teen Turns by Elise Porter, and In the land of the Right Brain, by Mary Hierholzer.

The print edition of The Feather has also received numerous awards, such as First Place by the International Quill & Scroll (2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2003, and 2000) and a Gold medal from Columbia Scholastic Press Association of New York City in 2009, 2008, 2006 (Silver medals 2007, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2002, 2000). The staff has also been honored by the National Scholastic Press Association. Most recently the NSPA gave The Feather a First Class rating with two marks of distinction in 2009. (The same award was given 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2000). The Feather print edition also won the coveted San Joaquin Valley Scholastic Press Association's Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes

The United States consumer sales promotion known as a sweepstake has become associated with marketing promotions targeted toward both generating enthusiasm and providing incentive reactions among customers by enticing consumers to submit free entries into drawings of chance...

 award on March 1, 2008. This is annually given to the grand champion of the day at California State University, Fresno

California State University, Fresno

California State University, Fresno, often referred to as Fresno State University and synonymously known in athletics as Fresno State , is one of the leading campuses of the California State University system, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA.The campus sits at the foot of...

, in the annual conference and contest. High school newspaper staffs from Lodi, CA, to Bakersfield, CA, regardless of school size, attend the competition.

Band

The high school has several divisions of the performing arts department, including jazz band, concert band

Concert band

A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...

, and marching band

Marching band

Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...

. The bands are led by director Michael Ogdon and have appeared on the KMPH Fox 26 morning show, "Great Day". Programs begin as early as elementary grades, continuing through senior high. The band department also includes the color guard that marches with the marching band in parades and the winterguard that performs in separate competitions during the months of January, February, and March.

Choir

The choir program at Fresno Christian includes the concert choir, women's chorale, men's chorale, and ensemble, however some programs are not offered during the school year due to lack of enrollment in the subject. The band is directed by Fine Arts Department Chair Michael Ogdon, who has performed and studied at San Jose State University. The choral groups received a total of five awards in the Heritage Music Festival, hosted in San Diego on March 19–22, 2009. Programs begin as early as elementary grades, continuing through senior high.

Drama

Third-year English teacher Brianne Vogt continues to lead the drama department. The drama classes perform multiple productions throughout the year, both before the student body during weekly chapels or as separate events.

CSF

The Fresno Christian High School chapter of the California Scholarship Federation

California Scholarship Federation

The California Scholarship Federation, or CSF, started in 1921 by Charles F. Seymour, seeks to recognize students living in the state of California who possess high standards in academic scholarship, community service and citizenship....

 is currently directed by AP English

AP English

AP English can stand for two distinct Advanced Placement Programs provided by the College Board:*AP English Language and Composition*AP English Literature and Composition...

 teacher, Academic Counselor, and CSF Board Member Molly Sargent. Sargent previously led the club, but released the duties to Ellen King in 2004. However after King’s transition to teaching only junior high students in 2007, Sargent accepted leadership of the club once again. The club consists of second-semester freshmen through seniors

Twelfth grade

Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...

, attempting to improve the surrounding communities through community service

Community service

Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....

. One such service started by CSF in the 2008–2009 school year, is free, peer

Peer group

A peer group is a social group consisting of humans. Peer groups are an informal primary group of people who share a similar or equal status and who are usually of roughly the same age, tended to travel around and interact within the social aggregate Members of a particular peer group often have...

 tutoring. The California Junior Scholarship Federation is also offered to students in junior high grades, many of whom filter into the high school's CSF.

Destination ImagiNation

The Destination ImagiNation

Destination ImagiNation

Destination ImagiNation Inc. or DI is a creative problem solving organization for youth and adults. Destination ImagiNation's educational goals are to foster creative and critical thinking, to develop teamwork, collaboration and leadership skills, and to nurture research and inquiry skills...

 team is mostly independent from the rest of the school’s clubs and activities. The FCHS chapter of D.I. was started by seven juniors midway through the 2007–2008 school year. Although the club was young, the FCHS Destination ImagiNation team progressed to the state championships, and later nationals, winning multiple awards and recognition

Recognition (sociology)

Recognition in sociology is public acknowledgement of person's status or merits .When some person is recognized, he or she is accorded some special status, such as a name, title, or classification...

 along the way.

Book & Walking Buddies

Fresno Christian has partnered with Pinedale Elementary to offer unique opportunities for both elementary and high school-level students. In exchange for community service

Community service

Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....

 hours, which are required for each high school student every semester, high school students walk or read with younger students who may have challenges or special needs

Special needs

In the USA, special needs is a term used in clinical diagnostic and functional development to describe individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological. For instance, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International...

 in such areas. Students leave the Peoples Church

Peoples Church

Peoples Church is a non-denominational church in Fresno, California. The church is led by Pastor Dale Oquist. The church campus is home to Fresno Christian High School, a private school attended by students in grades K-12.- History :...

 campus during chapels on Thursday, returning in time for the commencement of seventh period.

FCA

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a club hosted on campus during lunch to encourage athletes of any sport to further develop their relationship with Christ. Although the club has been offered in the past, it was not available during the 2008–09 or 2009–10 academic years.

Sports

The following sports are offered as opportunities to students at Fresno Christian:

Fall

• Boys' Football
• Girls' Tennis
• Girls' Volleyball
• Mens' and girls' cross country

Winter

• Cross Country
• Girls' Basketball
• Boys' Basketball
• Boys' Soccer
• Girls' Soccer

Spring

• Boys' Tennis
• Golf
• Track & Field
• Girls' Softball
• Boys' Baseball

Accreditation

Fresno Christian Schools is fully accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International

Association of Christian Schools International

The Association of Christian Schools International is an association of evangelical Protestant Christian schools.-Purposes:ACSI, a protestant association for Christian schools, impacts nearly 23,000 schools and transforms the lives of more than 3.9 million students worldwide...

 (ACSI), the Western Association of Schools and Colleges

Western Association of Schools and Colleges

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...

 (WASC), and the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability

Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability

The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability is an accreditation agency to promote fiscal integrity and sound financial practices among member organizations. Founded in 1979, it comprises over 2,000 evangelical Christian organizations which qualify for tax-exempt, nonprofit status and...

(ECFA).

External links

• Fresno Christian Schools
• The Feather Online