March 2002

I am so thankful that we did the holiday program at Thanksgiving time this year. A Christmas program just never would have happened after Mrs. Garvin had her stroke. We did some special things for Christmas however. The first was a trip to The Oregon Veteran’s Home on the 17^th of December to sing for the residents. We actually ended up singing our entire repertoire 4 times; once in each of the four wings of the home. Then, we contacted the Salvation Army and they supplied us with the name of a family which needed some help making Christmas possible for their children. The students went to Kmart and had a great time shopping for gifts and then wrapping them when we got back to the school. Then, on the day before the break, after we had a gift exchange among the students at school, I took our tree and the gifts down to the Salvation Army headquarters and they delivered them to the family in time for Christmas.

January 28 was Rotary Ski Day at Mount Hood Meadows, and it was a glorious day! With Pastor Ballard, Wileta Benson, and Mr. Garvin driving, the students arrived in plenty of time to get their rental equipment and eat lunch before skiing started at 1 pm. The weather was wonderful, and the snow, well, the snow was unbelievably deep; well over 20 feet of it. By 6:30 a tired but happy group was ready to head for home.

One of the most interesting projects we have done this year was a wrap-up activity done at the end of an electricity unit in science. It involved a class in electronics taught by Britt Storkson, owner of a local electronics company. He introduced us to the fundamentals of electronics, and then helped each student assemble an intruder alarm by soldering component parts onto a printed circuit board. Several students found, to their dismay, that soldering irons also work well as branding irons, OUCH!! But, the alarms worked and the students learned a lot about what makes electronic gadgets do what they do.

On February 7, Brooki Browning, Essie Ellett, and Mr. Garvin, took the students on a wonderful field trip to hear the Oregon Symphony perform at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland. This was a special performance designed especially for young people with such interesting numbers as Haydn’s ‘Surprise Symphony’, the second movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Bach’s Fugue in G minor, and ‘The Country Band March’ by Ives. If you’ve never been to the ‘Schnitz’, it is a magnificently restored theater with ornate scrollwork in the ceiling, gorgeous chandeliers, and marble floors. After the concert, we went to the Lloyd Center to each lunch and to window shop a bit before going to the Franz Bakery for a tour. Did you know that they produce over two million hamburger buns every day! They supply the buns for every fast food chain in the state.

One last item for your attention. Our little school is a wonderful learning place. But, we are running out of students. If you know of families who are looking for a Christian school, send them our way.

Sincerely, Gary Garvin

December 2001

Believe it or not, this school year is almost half over.  We have been very busy with a number of interesting projects and field trips.  First of all is the wonderful sign we have placed at Taylor Lake. 

Next, is the very excellent field trip we went on to Mount Saint Helens.  We visited both the west and east sides of the mountain, camped out overnight, and rode until our little bums were sore!  But, what wonderful things we learned and saw.

The students practiced some great songs and a wonderful play called, 'The Kingdom of Words' and presented them to parents and friends of the school in a Thanksgiving program the second week of November.

They are hard at work now on some carols which will be sung for the residents of the Vet's Home and Columbia Basin Nursing Home.

Worship is a very important part of the school day here at TDAS, and this year we have been reading the book of Acts and making illustrated booklets about the adventures of the apostles.  Another favorite activity is the group Bible study on such interesting subjects as Angels and the Second Coming.

Its been a great three and a half months, and I know it will continue that way right up to the end of school.