Auction and other Updates

We held our annual benefit auction this past Saturday and a couple of the FFA memebers dressed in their official FFA dress.  They clean up pretty well!  The auction was a fun day of fellowship and raising money for the school.  A couple of the students made some items (including coat racks, boot racks and other welded creations) to sell at the auction and those brought in great prices.
A couple of the students and I had an opportunity to go out to Rapid City and attend a Range Beef Cattle Symposium put on by SDSU, University of Nebraska, Colorado State, and the University of Wyoming.  There were some excellent presentations by both the university staff and professionals in the industry.  The students were overwhelmed by all the information but I think each one walked away with some valuable information.  The other part of the conference is the networking and getting around the tradeshow and the students took advantage of that in their time there.
The next two weeks the students will be researching energy topics and will be presenting their information to the class as part of the final.  Be for we know it, Christmas will be here and we will be started with the second semester!

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Here is a wonderful opportunity and I apologize for not getting this posted sooner.  Please see the link regarding an opportunity out in Rapid City December 3-5 to learn from the industry leaders in cattle and let me know if you are interested in going!  You can either attend all 3 days or for 1 day.
http://beef.unl.edu/web/beef/range-beef-cow-symposium-XXIII

Relating Servant Days/Senior Trip to the mission of FFA

SBA sets aside time each fall where our 9-11 grade classes go all around the state and the 12th graders go to Missouri on missions trips.  The goal of these trips is to teach our students about serving others with the love that Jesus has given to us.  These pictures specifically show snapshots from the junior class trip that splits and loads firewood in Platte and brings it to Wanblee, SD to the Eagle's Nest Ministry Center.  They use the wood to heat their buildings for the winter.

 The class demonstrated great team work in the loading and stacking of the many pieces of firewood!

 The Eagle's Nest Ministry Center in Wanblee also is building the "Glory Ranch" which is the setting of the top picture.  They hope to use this ranch to reach the youth and families of the Pine Ridge Reservation for the "glory" of Christ (Colossians 3:23).  I am excited about the possibilities that SBA has to continue to come alongside this ministry in the future!

Here is a follow-up picture from our Fall SLEW.  My students and I have continued to work with "Dandy" and we've had two good first rides on him!

Assignment:  How does our Servant Days/Senior Trip fit in the context of the FFA mission and motto?  What areas of life do you see God calling you to serve him in?

Assignment for 11-15-13

How does hunting fit in the context of a Biblical worldview?  Does the "creation mandate" in Genesis 1:28-30 apply to hunting?  Are there any other passages of scripture that apply to hunting?  (15 points)

Firearm Safety and Field Trips

We had a busy class schedule last week that included the 6th period class creating a firearm safety video (see a sample of that above) and the 3rd period class giving firearm safety presentations to the upper elementary and middle school classes.  I dare say we have some talented future teachers in our class!  The students had fun with this, but more importantly demonstrated they could both safely handle and teach others to safely handle firearms.
We also had a chance to get out of the classroom last week.  On Friday, the 6th period class went over to Wayne Fawcett's and he talked to us about their family operation.  We spent most of time touring the barn that SBA first used for basketball practice!  The ranch used to be owned by the Marshall family who donated the land that SBA is built on.  The basketball team used to practice in the hay mound in the upstairs of the barn.  The barn is an impressive building that still serves an important purpose!  I love touring old barns and learning the history of them.
The 3rd period class helped me worm our horses and practiced crossing fences with a firearm.
This week we will be looking at the game species in South Dakota.  Thanks for tuning in!    

Assignment for 11-12-13

The first time I went hunting I was in 4th or 5th grade.  My uncle took me rabbit hunting with some of his friends.  I was proud of being able to walk through the woods with my uncle and his dog as we eagerly waited for rabbits to dart out from their hiding spots in the soft snow.  Even though I didn't have a gun of my own, this hunt was a rite of passage for me and got me excited about hunting.  After the hunt was done, my uncle let me shoot his shotgun at some targets.  This was the first time I was able to shoot a "real" gun besides a BB gun!

What about you-what was your first hunting experience like?

A Month's Worth of Updates

Well, I guess it's been about a month since we've updated the blog.  Here are a couple of highlights from the last couple of weeks and I apologize up-front for the lack of photos of our activities:

• Researching and presenting on crops grown in South Dakota
• Parliamentary Procedures
• Firearm Safety
• South Dakota Hunting Regulations
• Conservation and Stewardship
• First official SBA FFA Meeting on October 21st  *Below is a copy of the "unofficial" minutes

The Minutes for FFA             

     By Tricia

            Sunshine Bible Academy held its first ever FFA meeting on Oct. 21^st 2013. The members present were Brian, Faith, Tricia Sierra, Jana, and Jt. Members gone were Trig and Noah. Our advisor Mr. Boresma was present, and our guests were Miss Van Holstyn and Vince Dixon.

            Brian called our meeting to order, followed by the opening ceremony. Sierra gave our treasures report Our FFA chapter did two different work projects in the community to raise money. We had to pay $50 for going to the land and range judging school and $180 for our FFA dues, which leaves us with a total of $865 in our FFA account.          

            Some opportunities for our FFA chapter are on Friday November 8^th for the Jack Rabbit Invitational. Jana informed us that on December 7-8^th(weekend of Auction) there is a cattle showing clinic in Brookings SD. It is done by professional cattle showers and you’ll receive tips on showing and other details on how to do things. It is also free so if people want to go let Mr. Boersma know. We also discussed the BOSDRC (Building Our South Dakota Rural Communities) which provides grants for our FFA chapter to do projects to help our community. It includes Basic which gives you $750 per project and Safety $200 per projects. You would need progression and completion reports. Jana moved to talk about Grant opportunities and Faith 2^nd it. After discussing for a while Tricia moved to set aside the motion to talk about the Grant and move on to new business, and JT seconded it.

            New Business- Mr. Boersma suggested a committee for Thank you cards. Sierra opened the floor to talk about it, and Jana 2^nd it. We discussed how our chapter needs to send Thank- you cards to people who have given our FFA chapter money. Our president Brian appointed Tricia, Jana, and Sierra on a Thank-you card committee. Jana moved to close Thank-you card discussion and Sierra 2^nd it. An auction Fundraiser idea was suggested and Jana moved to open discussion. Sierra seconded it. Some of the ideas were Silent Auction or Fencing Basket. After discussing a bit Jana moved discussion to discussed at a later date and Brian 2^nd the motion. The Rancher Relief Fundraiser in Miller asked our chapter if we wanted to donate a basket to be auctioned off. Brian moved to open discussion and Jana seconded it. During discussion we decided to make a movie basket and to spend $65 on it. Sierra moved for Jana to pick out a movie basket and Brian 2^nd it. After the new business was done discussing, Brian made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Sierra 2^nd it. Meeting was adjourned and dismissed by 9:04. 

Where do we turn in tough times

This week's activities have been a little less exciting than the previous weeks as the students are researching different crops grown in South Dakota.  The students are getting hit with projects and tests from many different classes as the end of the first quarter is coming up next Wednesday.
The West River families and communities have been in our thoughts and prayers this week as they continue to deal with losses and clean up from last week's storm.  I am proud of how the students have kept their focus here at school, however, we also realize how difficult it is for them to be here knowing the loss and extra work going on back home.
We read from Psalm 40 today in devotions which says:  "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet upon a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.  Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods."

Range Competition and Looking Ahead

Three of our students took part in the Central Area Range Competition on October 1st in Wessington Springs. They (and their teacher) were a little nervous about the first competition! It was a beautiful day and the students performed very well, especially considering our inexperience. We placed 5th out of 10 schools and one of our students finished 21st in the individual scores. This is an area that I believe our school can really build upon and compete at an even higher level in the years to come.
 Five of our students won FFA jackets from a contest that we entered in last month. The students had to fill out an application and then answer questions about their future plans in agriculture, what an FFA jacket would mean to them, and what their goals for FFA are. Congratulations to our students for a job well done in this area!
 Earlier this week, we were privileged to have 2 state FFA officers join our class and answer many FFA questions. This is also my first year being involved with FFA so it was a blessing to have them for an hour class. The officers commented on how engaged the students were in wanting to learn more about FFA.
 We are finishing up our range unit and moving into crops. Each student has picked (figuratively) a crop to research and present to the class in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more details!

FFA Visit Assignment

What is one thing that you learned from the state FFA officers that visited us on Monday? What opportunities in FFA are you interested in and would like to learn more about?

Getting out into the community!

 We had a couple of great opportunities to get out into the community over the past week.  The above picture is taken at the Ufen ranch which is just south of school.  Brad Ufen (an SBA alum) was kind enough to flag about 30 range grasses and plants for us to go look at on their property.  He did a great job walking us through the plant line and sharpening our identification skills.

 Backing up to Tuesday, we had an opportunity to help a family put tires on top of their silage pile.  They had spread a large tarp across the silage to keep it fresh and needed tires on top to hold it down.  The size of this pile was almost as big as a football field and was at least 15-20 feet high!
The students worked very hard and we were able to get the job done in about 45 minutes!  We had great help from a couple of future FFA students (we hope!) Jaden Brockel and Zach Sybesma-they decided working outside would be more fun than sitting in study hall!

Everybody got their workout and helped encourage each other to get the job done.  It helps to have some competitive students in class.  I told one of them I'm glad he works half as hard as he talks!

On Thursday, we went to out to the Johnson's place with my smaller class.  We helped pick up ears of corn that had fallen out the back of a trailer as they were picking corn.  The students did well with that and enjoyed getting to drive the Gator and Big Red around the field!
One of our goals is to be able to connect our students to some of the local operations around school.  It's a win-win situation where we get to go out and help families and learn from them.  They in turn get to know our students/program and help support us in what we are doing.
Coming up this week is a visit from two state FFA officers and a Range Competition in Wessington Springs that 3 of our students will be competing in.  Thanks for tuning in!

What an exciting week!

We had a very busy yet exciting week at SBA. Chad Coppess, from Grace Adventures, came and challenged us from Ephesians 5 using horse training to relate what God desires to teach us. Our Ag classes had the opportunity to work with Chad and the horses during classtime and learn more about horse training. Thanks to Chad and the students for their willingness to go deeper. We also had an opportunity with the 3rd period class to visit Dakota Vet in Miller to watch a horse get it's teeth floated. The vet explained the procedure and allowed the students to get some hands-on learning. Thanks to Dakota Vet for allowing us this opportunity. This week we are going to help a local family put the tarp and tires on their sileage pile. We also will be finishing up our range management section over the next two weeks. The bottom photo is displaying a gavel that Trig made for our FFA meetings. I enjoy seeing the students use their gifts in a variety of ways to add to our class experience. Thanks for tuning in!

SLEW Assignment-Due Tuesday, 9-24-13

What is one takeaway (thing you have learned) that you have from SLEW week? How was that lesson illustrated by the horse? How does that apply to your relationship with God?

Putting Together a Roundpen and the Week of 9-16-13

The weeks keep getting busier!  Last Friday, the class assignment was to use teamwork to build a roundpen for our SLEW speaker.  I gave them a rough outline of what I wanted, the supplies they needed, and then I stepped back and watched them make it happen.  They did a great job as a team and problem solved a couple of hangups that I had not anticipated! 
Chad Coppess, our SLEW speaker, will be training a horse in the roundpen on Wednesday and Thursday at the 8:00 am and 7:00pm sessions if you have a chance to come by. 
We are headed to Dakota Vet in Miller today with the 3rd period class to watch the vet float a horse's teeth. Thanks for tuning in!

Assignment for 9-15-13

Reflecting on the Land and Range Judging School, what are some things that you've learned (tools for your toolbox) that you have for future opportunities in agriculture?

One More Picture

Here is a picture with everybody in it from the Land and Range Judging in Woonsocket!

Land and Range School, Upcoming Assignment

We had the opportunity to go to Land and Range Judging school in Woonsocket this past week. I don't know who was more nervous about this, the students or the teacher! The students learned about plant id, site evaluations, and carrying capacity for cattle and prairie grouse. I am proud of our students and their eagerness to learn about being better stewards of the land resources that God has given us! There is an FFA jacket contest going on where our students can win free FFA jackets. The application for this includes 2 pages of information/short answers that will be due on Wednesday, September 18. There is a place for a parent's signature on that form so please get that done accordingly. Thanks for tuning in!

Assignment for 9-5-13

This week's post has to do with leadership. We have been looking at the FFA leadership positions and will be looking into the journey of leadership. What do you think is the most important aspect of leadership? Why?

Updates

There are several updates that I want to pass your way. First of all, we are going through applications for FFA officers this week and we are blessed to have many qualified students running for positions! Schedule wise, here are a couple of upcoming events to keep in mind:

Tuesday, September 10th: Land and Range Judging School in Woonsocket

Monday, September 16th-Friday, September 20: Chad Coppess from Grace Adventures will be at SBA for our Fall SLEW. He will be incorporating live horse training as part of his teaching to the students

Tuesday, October 1: Regional Land and Range Judging Competition in Wess. Springs *For those who wish to compete

Tuesday, November 12: District Fall FFA Competition in Miller

Friday, November 22-Monday, November 25: State FFA Competition in Pierre *Stay tuned for details Sam Rogers showed a heifer in the FFA livestock competition of the State Fair last weekend in addition to her 4-H shows.

FFA Information

Here is a link to the FFA website.  The official manual can be viewed under the following link: http://issuu.com/nationalffaorganization/docs/2013omfinal_for_ffa.org

Applications for officers will be due on Friday, August 30

Welcome to Class!

Thank you for tuning into our class blogspot!  This site is designed as a class website to post updates and discussion boards about topics that we are covering in our class at Sunshine Bible Academy.  Discussion questions will be posted weekly and responses will be due Thursday night by 10:00 pm.  I look forward to beginning this journey together!