THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 12, 1995 TAG: 9503100193
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
Seniors at StoneBridge High School, a small, private Christian school on Jolliff Road, plans to visit the Eastern European nation of Slovakia on a teaching mission.
Each year the senior class undertakes a special trip during the spring vacation. In the past, students have traveled to the Grand Canyon and Florida, as well as to France, where they got to use the French all of the school's students are taught from their kindergarten years until graduation.
This year the class, made up of only four students, all from Chesapeake, plans to visit the Logos Christian Center in Slovakia.
Those planning to take the trip are: Andrew Lundquist, the 18-year-old son of Gretchen and Ron Lundquist; Eddie Smalling, the 17-year-old son of Darlene and Allen Smalling; Andy Wall, the 17-year-old son of Kim and Jim Wall; and Kim Watkins, the 18-year-old daughter of Frances and Preston Watkins.
The seniors have already purchased their plane tickets to Eastern Europe but still need additional expense money to help them realize their two-week overseas trip, which begins March 27. But the trip won't be all sightseeing.
According to Darlene Smalling, who's helping organize the trip and is the mother of one of the students, the four chose Slovakia to have the opportunity to teach at the Logos Center, a Christian research and training facility.
``They're hoping to teach U.S. government, economics and American history at the center,'' Smalling said. ``They want to show off the `biblical principle' approach to teaching. They want to show what they learned at StoneBridge and that the method can be used in other places and in other situations.''
Smalling said the ``biblical principle'' method is part of the school's core curriculum. It incorporates biblical studies and its relevance in all manner of academic endeavor.
``But they're also planning to make side trips and enjoy the fact that they are overseas,'' Smalling said. ``They hope to visit Germany and maybe Switzerland. They want to see how other people live.''
Smalling said she and the families of the other three seniors have mailed out literally hundreds of letters to area businesses seeking sponsorships for the trip. So far none has responded.
She said the four are hoping church groups, non-profit organizations and clubs and maybe businesses will help donate money for the trip. But, she added, the seniors aren't exactly sitting around waiting for the money to come in.
``They're trying to raise the additional money themselves,'' she explained. ``They all have part-time jobs. We also held a family basketball night fund-raiser at the school and held cake raffles.''
Besides the opportunity to show off the school's teaching method in Eastern Europe and the chance to travel overseas, Smalling said the trip is special to the four for another reason.
``These youngsters have been together for years,'' she added. ``This is the last thing they'll do together. After they graduate, they will all go on to different colleges. This will be a special trip.'' MEMO: Donations to support the trip can be made to StoneBridge High School,
c/o P.O. Box 9247, Chesapeake, Va. 23321.
by CNB