Lancaster Mennonite School

Infobox Private School
name = Lancaster Mennonite School


motto =
established = 1942
type = Private School
religion = Mennonite
head_name = Superintendent
head = J. Richard Thomas
city = Lancaster
state = Pennsylvania
country = USA
campus =
enrollment = 1,513
faculty =
class =
ratio =
SAT =
ACT =
athletics = 16 Interscholastic Sports
colors = Black and Gold
mascot = Blazers
conference = Lancaster-Lebanon League
homepage = [http://www.lancastermennonite.org/ www.lancastermennonite.org]

Lancaster Mennonite School is a private Mennonite school with four campuses in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The Lancaster Campus, east of the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, serves students in grades six through twelve. The high school on the Lancaster Campus is known as Lancaster Mennonite High School. The nearby Locust Grove Campus provides pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. To the southwest of Lancaster city, the New Danville Campus offers pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. In northwest Lancaster County, the Kraybill Campus has students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Altogether, the school had a total enrollment of 1,513 students at the start of the 2007-08 school year.

History

Each of the four campuses of Lancaster Mennonite School has a rich history. All were founded as separate schools to give parents an alternative to public schools in which students could be taught in a Christ-centered environment. Locust Grove Mennonite School was founded 1939, and New Danville Mennonite School in 1940, to offer grades one through eight. The Lancaster Conference of the Mennonite Church began the development of a Christian high school, Lancaster Mennonite School, on the site of the former Yeates School in 1942. To better serve families in northwest Lancaster County, Lancaster Mennonite School then helped to start Kraybill Mennonite School in 1949, which originally provided first through tenth grade.

Although each school was founded independently, the schools shared a common mission, values, and constituency, and eventually decided to work together as a comprehensive PreK-12 system under the name of Lancaster Mennonite School. New Danville merged with Lancaster in 2001, followed by Locust Grove in 2003 and Kraybill in 2006. Although each campus has its own unique history and flavor, the four campuses claim the same distinctives: Christ-centered, educational excellence, faith-infused opportunities, caring community, and peace and service.

Key Dates

1939: Locust Grove Mennonite School (now Locust Grove Campus) founded 1940: New Danville Mennonite School (now New Danville Campus) founded 1942: Lancaster Mennonite School founded

1949: Kraybill Mennonite School (now Kraybill Campus) founded in the Kraybill Meetinghouse with grades 1-10 in cooperation with Lancaster Mennonite School 1965: LMS builds a junior high building on the Kraybill campus 1970: Lancaster Mennonite School re-named Lancaster Mennonite High School to emphasize that it offered grades 9-12. 2000-01: Middle school (grades 6-8) started on the Lancaster Campus

2001-02: New Danville Mennonite School (K-8) merges to form Lancaster Mennonite School, one K-12 school with two campuses 2003-04: Locust Grove Mennonite School (PreK-8) merges with Lancaster Mennonite School and becomes the Locust Grove Campus

2006-07: Kraybill Mennonite School (K-8) merges with Lancaster Mennonite School and becomes the Kraybill Campus (PreK-8)

Diversity

Although the schools initially served primarily Mennonite students, each campus eventually served a diversity of Christian families who appreciated an excellent education in a Christ-centered atmosphere that emphasized personal faith and discipleship. While LMS is committed to the core values of Anabaptist Christian faith, the school wants to be seen as "warmly ecumenical." More than twenty Christian denominations are now represented in the student body.

The Lancaster Campus has a diverse student body enriched by students from several foreign countries through the school's residential program. Financial aid allows socio-economic diversity as well as racial-ethnic diversity. Approximately 21% of Lancaster Campus students are from under-represented racial-ethnic groups (7% Hispanic, 7% Asian and 7% Black).

Facilities

The Lancaster Campus has a residence hall, Graybill Hall, that houses approximately 60 out-of-state and international students attending Lancaster Mennonite High School. The G. Parke Book Building, renovated in 2004, is home to specialized agriculture and technology classrooms. The modern Fine Arts Center provides an auditorium, music rooms and art rooms to support the school's commitment to the arts.

A two-story building provides classroom space for the middle school on the lower level and the high school on the upper level, along with Alumni Dining Hall and a large library. A new academic building is being constructed, with completion expected around December, 2008. The new building will house science and math rooms, a welcome center and administrative offices for Lancaster Mennonite School as a whole.

For athletics, the Lancaster Campus has two gymnasiums, a new artificial-turf soccer and field hockey field, a lighted baseball stadium, softball diamonds, and tennis courts. The school is currently raising funds for a new track.

The other three campuses contain facilities to support their common mission of providing quality, holistic education. Each of these campuses has recently undergone significant renovations to maintain a uniform standard of quality throughout Lancaster Mennonite School.

Athletics

The Lancaster Mennonite High School sports program competes in the Lancaster-Lebanon League (local public school league) and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The Blazers regularly qualify to play for league championships, District III playoffs and state tournaments. The following high school sports are offered:

;Fall: Cross Country for Boys and Girls, Girls Field Hockey, Golf, Boys Soccer, Girls Volleyball, Girls Tennis ;Winter: Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball, Chess Team, Quiz Bowl

;Spring: Baseball, Softball, Girls Soccer, Boys Tennis, Boys Volleyball, Boys Football, Track & Field

Eligible students at the Locust Grove Campus participate with Lancaster Campus middle school students on "junior high" teams in the Lancaster-Lebanon League while the Kraybill Campus offers middle school (grades 6-8) teams in the Commonwealth Christian Athletic Conference. At the elementary level, Lancaster Mennonite School formed the Mennonite Sports Organization as an alternative to community leagues for basketball, soccer and field hockey.

Drama

Lancaster Mennonite School offers many opportunities to participate in drama, including drama classes at the high school level. Lancaster Mennonite High School produces a play in the fall and in the winter, followed by a musical production in the spring. The middle schools at the Lancaster and Locust Grove campuses also produce a play.

Music

Music is very important in the life of the school. The high school offers classes such as concert band, jazz band, orchestra and various choral groups. The jazz band plays at sporting events and helps promote school spirit. Junior Chorale, Vocal Ensemble, Men's Chorus, and Campus Chorale perform concerts at the school and in local congregations. Chapel services provide another opportunity for students to share musical abilities as they assist in worship. The elementary and middle school music programs also provide many opportunities for vocal and instrumental instruction and performance.

Art

Lancaster Mennonite High School offers an extensive and intensive art curriculum resulting in numerous art awards for its students. Middle school students at the Lancaster, Kraybill and Locust Grove campuses regularly receive awards in the National Scholastic Arts competition. A foundation for this success is laid through creative, innovative art classes at the elementary level.

Spiritual Life

Lancaster Mennonite School believes that the key to a Christ-centered education is having Christ at the center of all learning and activities, not as an add-on in the curriculum. Therefore, the school maintains that spiritual life involves every activity of the school, including student and teacher behavior in and out of the classroom.

While taking a holistic view of spirituality, the school offers many specific and intentional activities to highlight the spiritual dimension of life. Elementary students receive daily Bible instruction using the "Journeys with God" Bible curriculum and attend a weekly chapel service at their level of understanding. Middle school students generally attend Bible class twice every week, a weekly chapel service, and have extended times for focusing on their relationship with God. All high school students attend daily chapel services and take a theology/Bible class each year. The school provides a Campus Minister and the Lancaster Campus has a committee of students and faculty devoted to cultivating spiritual life on campus. At the same time, the school expects all teachers to integrate a Christian perspective into all subject areas.

Students need not subscribe to a particular creed or doctrinal statement. Faculty need not attend a Mennonite congregation, but agree to teach in harmony with the "Confession of Faith from a Mennonite Perspective". This confession of faith emphasizes a personal relationship with God through Christ, salvation through faith, and a commitment to following Christ's example and teachings through the power of the Holy Spirit. The school believes that following Christ involves having his global perspective and commitment to justice for all people in addition to personal morality.

Academics

The school's objective is to have academic parity with local public schools, but with a spiritual dimension in a faith community atmosphere. Therefore, the school does not have a selective admissions policy, but accepts a wide cross-section of abilities. Nevertheless, the average standardized test scores of Lancaster Mennonite School students are consistently superior to those of local and state averages for public and church-related schools. On the Scholatic Aptitude Test, the scores of Lancaster Mennonite High School students are consistently on a par with those of selective college preparatory schools, according to College Board reports.

The high school has a strong agriculture program with an award-winning Future Farmers of America chapter. The high school also offers a number of technology classes such as welding and small engine repair. In addition to formal classes, high school students can develop advanced practical skills through the web site team, the stage crew, yearbook staff and other opportunities.

Publications

Lancaster Mennonite School produces many publications. "The Millstream" is the student newspaper For Lancaster Mennonite High School. "The Tributary" is the Lancaster Mennonite Middle School newspaper. "Silhouette" is a student literary magazine that publishes the creative work of students. "Laurel Wreath" is the yearbook for Lancaster Mennonite High School. Both "Silhouette" and "Laurel Wreath" have won awards for their literary excellence. The school also publishes "Bridges" magazine for alumni, school families, and others interested in the school. The monthly parent newsletter, "Report", is now produced in an electronic format with hard copies provided only by request. These two publications can be accessed through the school's student-operated website.

References

External links

* [http://www.lancastermennonite.org Official website]