Junior College Days

The Junior Class of 2013 went to visit Union college campus for the junior college days. They left sunday, and returned the following Tuesday. They all enjoyed learning about future careers and all the possible classes offered at Union. Tour guides did their best to show them around the campus, which made everyone feel more at home. The Juniors worked great together, they bonded through all the activities and endless bus rides, getting to know each other better. They attended the career fair, classes, worships, Ask a student, and College 101 during their visit. The laughs they shared will keep them together through the hard times. They left as the Junior class, but returned as a group of friends.

Written by a Junior.

Pictures taken by: Union College

Maplewood Serves the Community

October 16^th was Maplewood Academy’s annual Community Service Day.  The entire student body and faculty dedicated the day to showing God’s love through the gift of service in the city of Hutchinson.  Thirteen groups were found throughout the community raking leaves, pulling weeds, cleaning parks and even picking apples. 

The air was cool and the gusty wind had a play day with the nicely raked piles of leaves, but the sun was shining and the students’ spirits were high.  “It was really cold, but I felt good about helping people,” says Anesia Nahimana, a Freshman at Maplewood. 

For four hours the students worked hard, with the occasional break to jump into the enticing piles of leaves.  Sophomore, MaryAnne Birai, raked leaves for a family in Hutchinson and then helped pick up fallen sticks in a park.  She says, “It made me feel great when people congratulated us for doing a good job.  It made my heart smile!”

“Today was good because I felt like I was helping the community and doing my part,” says Freshman, Yande Musonda, who helped rake leaves for the SDA Twice Is Nice.  The students worked hard and their efforts have a positive impact on the people in our community.  Sometimes the little things are what show God’s love in the biggest way. 

Alumni Weekend Events

Alumni Weekend 2011

September 22-25-2011

Thursday, September 22, 2011

3:00-8:00 p.m.--Registration in the Administration Building

7:30 p.m. -- Evening Program and Reception for Returning Alumni

Friday, September 23, 2011

11:15 a.m. -- Chapel, Presented by Maplewood Academy

5:30 p.m. -- Welcome Home Supper (Complimentary), Cafeteria

7:30 p.m. -- Vespers, Presented by the Class of 1961, Church

- Or - Vespers, Presented by the Class of 2001, Chapel

Saturday, September 24, 2011

10:00 a.m. -- Worship Service, Gymnasium, Speaker: Dale Morrison '81

After Worship Service -- Honor Class Pictures, Gymnasium

12:30 p.m. -- Potluck Dinner (Bring Desserts, Salads and Side Dishes)

1:00 p.m. -- Desserts by the Pond put on by the Johnson Sisters

2:30 p.m. -- Reunion Chorale Practice, Music Building Choir Room

3:00 p.m. -- Sing-a-Long with Loren Dickinson '50, David Hensel '51, and George Newmyer '51

4:00 p.m. -- Reunion Chorale & MWA Choraliers Concert, Gymnasium

6:45 p.m. -- Sundown Worship & Variety Show, Organized by the Class of 1971, Ad Building Chapel

9:00 p.m. -- MWA Huskies vs. Alumni Basketball Games, Gymnasium

Sunday, September 25, 2011

8:00 a.m. -- 5K Cross-Country Run/Walk for "Let's Move Day" sponsored by Adventists InStep For Life

9:00 a.m. Brunch Fundraiser, Cafeteria

10:00 a.m. -- Alumni Golf Tournament, Crow River Country Club (Registration begins at 9:00 a.m.)

5K Cross-Country Run/Walk

For all of you early birds, join us for a morning 5K Cross-Country Run Walk around Maplewood's Campus.  In 2010, the First Lady launched Let's Move to fight the epidemic of childhood obesity.  The Seventh-day Adventist Church has joined some 50 other faith and community organizations in supporting this national initiative.  Sunday, September 25th is "Let's Move Day," an event put on by Adventists InStep for Life to promote healthier lifestyles.  We'll be meeting in the front parking lot of Maplewood Academy at 8:00 am and will be running/walking a cross-country route around Maplewood's campus.  More information about "Let's Move Day" can be found at www.AdventistsInStepForLife.org.  

Pancake Breakfast - Freewill Donation

Right after the 5K Run/Walk on Sunday, Sept. 25th, stop by the cafeteria at 9:00 am for a Pancake Breakfast!  A free-will donation fundraiser breakfast with pancakes, scrambled eggs, scrambled tofu, cereal, fresh fruit, hot and cold drinks and so much more.  Donations are collected at the door.  Brunch prepared by the Class of 2012 and the Maplewood Alumni Officers.  Proceeds benefit the MWA Alumni Association and the Senior Class.  

Alumni Golf Tournament

The Alumni Golf Tournament is a great way to have fun with your old classmates and to raise money for current students at Maplewood Academy.  Registration starts at 9:00 am on Sunday, Sept. 25th at the Crow River Country Club with a shot-gun start at 10:00 am. Lunch will be after the first 9 holes, with an optional second nine holes following lunch.  The winning team will get a $500 scholarship to give to the student of their choice.  The registration fee is $75.00 and can be paid Sunday morning.   

MWA Basketball Game - Huskies vs. Alumni

Wear your Maplewood Blue with pride and cheer on the MWA Huskies or the MWA Alumni in the 2011 Alumni Basketball Tournament on Saturday night, September 24th.  Women's game starts at 9:00 pm in the MWA Gym.  Men's game immediately follows. 

MWA Variety Show

Guaranteed to be a night of fun!  Cheer on you old classmates as they perform skits, songs, and other fun entertainment on Saturday nigt, September 24th at 7:15 pm.  Organized by the class of 1971. 

Maplewood Reunion Choral Concert

The reunion chorale and Maplewood Academy Choraliers join together in a concert you won't want to miss. Concert directed by MWA Music teacher and MWA Alumni, Kim Anderson Wooster '78.

Community 5K Fun Run/Walk

Maplewood Academy and the MN Conference of Seventh-day Adventists are putting together a Community 5K Fun Run/Walk for the first Sunday of Campmeeting (June 12, 2011).  Proceeds from this event will benefit Common Cup Ministries, a Christian non-profit that serves the Hutchinson community (http://www.common-cup.org/). This is a great way for us to get out and make a difference for others, and have fun doing it!  Registration begins at 6:00 a.m. on June 12 and the Run/Walk begins at 7:30 a.m.  T-shirts will be given to participants.  The cost is $15 per person or $50 for a family of 4.  We will be meeting in the front parking lot of MWA and the SDA church, 700 Main St. N, Hutchinson, MN 55350.  Registration forms can be downloaded at http://www.maplewoodacademy.org/. If you have any questions, contact Sherman McCormick 763.424.8923 or Laura Cummings at 320.587.2830.

MWA-Distance Learning Program

"The Minnesota Conference is actively recruiting students and raising funds for the MWA-Distance Learning Program, as voted to be achieved by May 31, 2011: 35 New students signed up for the program and $300,000 of a total of $750,000 needed.  Timely student’s registration is crucial in planning for both the student families and the schools.  If you have a 9th-12th grade student who would like to attend, or would like to explore attending, Maplewood Academy or one of the Long Distance Learning campuses in the Metro area, please call: Maplewood Academy, Marshall Bowers, MWA Principal, 320-587-2830; Long Distance Learning Campus, Matt Jacobson’s, 262-352-5534.  The Long Distance Learning program promises many benefits, both academic and spiritual, to the students enrolled, whether they attend the boarding academy or one of the long distance campuses. Inquiries are welcome!"

Academy Days 2011- S.W.A.T.

Mission Trip Newspaper Article

Hospital Food, Muscle Cars and Friendships!

(Article taken from the March 29, 2011 Hutchinson Leader Newspaper.  Article written by Doug Hanneman.) 

When Maplewood Academy students planned their 2011 spring mission trip, the original destination was the Central American nation of Honduras. But high airfares kept them closer to home, and the group instead drove to Clay County in Kentucky’s Appalachian Mountains.

Clay County is one of the poorest counties in the nation.  Unemployment is about 50 percent, and two-thirds of the county’s 24,000residents receive public assistance.

Knowing that, students from Maplewood-Seventh-day Adventist high school in Hutchinson-Figured their 10-day stay in Kentucky could be a life-changing experience.  Upon their return last week, they said the change of plans was indeed a blessing.

The 17 students and five adults-including teachers Linda Vigil and Principal Marshall Bowers-who made the 1,880-mile roundtrip journey worked on several projects during their stay.  They helped a family of seven with their new home, sorted files and moved equipment at a hospital, and assisted in activities at three schools. 

Gratitude shown by those they served left them with a feeling that they’d like to do more.  “It was a great experience,” said senior Angie Schebo.

Planning for the trip began several months ago and each student raised $900 to cover coats.  The mission was arranged by WeCare Missions, a program of Andrews University, an Adventist school in Michigan.  Upon arrival, the group’s daily routine was coordinated by Manchester Memorial Hospital in Manchester, the county seat.

Helping a hospital

The boy’s stayed in the basement of an Adventist church, and the girls stayed in a home owned by the hospital.

“Every Morning we got our orders from the hospital,” said senior Landyn Thom.  “We’d eat our breakfast there.  For hospital food, I thought it was going to be awful, but it was great.”

At the hospital, the students took on a monumental project-alphabetically sorting 5,600 patient files contained in large boxes, each weighing between 50 and 70 pounds.

“Before we did that, it took two days for the hospital to find a file,” Hanson said.

“That was one thing that really made me proud of the kids,” Vigil said. “They said, ‘We’re going to finish this job’ and they did.”

The hospital also had a warehouse of equipment and supplies- ranging from scrubs to vending machines to old syringes-that needed to be prepared for waste disposal. Some items had never been used. And some were donated but were outdated.

“Our job was to take everything we saw and either clean it or throw it,” Thom said. “We took all the stuff and put it on trucks.”

Helping a Family

Another project was refurbishing a home that the hospital had purchased for a family. The “new” home was an improvement over the family’s old home, but it still needed major work.

“Maplewood’s project was to fix up the outside,” said Junior Jacob Guptill. Working with two hospital maintenance workers, Guptill built a porch on the back of the home and dug a trench to strengthen the foundation supports under a shed.

Meanwhile, Hanson and others cleared tall grass and debris from around the home and drained a pond. Others repaired the home’s windows Schebo added.

“We took a vote for what we should get them,” Thom said. “The girls were favoring something educational. The guys wanted to get them something fun.”

Their final decision: a football, basketball and Wii video game console, which they bought from Walmart.

“The little boy was clutching the basketball all the time we were there,” Thom said.

Time with school children

The students’ schedule also included visits to two public schools and daily visits to an Adventist elementary school. “Every morning we preached to the kids and had a little time for prayer and skits with them,” Hanson said.

At the public elementary school, the group conducted a health fair, similar to one conducted at Maplewood Academy several weeks ago. And at a public junior high school, the students played basketball and baseball. One day, the group provided praise music during a church worship service.

The students said everyone they met in Clay County was friendly, though there were a few surprises.

The Walmart they shopped at was small and much different than Hutchinson’s. “They called it the ‘forgotten’ Walmart,” Guptill said, explaining that the store seemed to miss a few basics. “They had never heard of a Swiffer,” he said.

Another surprise was the vehicles people drove. “They like driving muscle cars down there,” Thom said. “I saw a lot of mustangs and trucks.”

One day, the group took a break from their work duties and traveled to a site where they were able to climb rock walls and rappel. The opportunity to do something fun outdoors in mild weather was a welcome departure from Hutchinson’s long winter.

 “Everyone had a good time,” Hanson said. “I definitely want to go back.”

Mission Trip 2011-Kentucky

These are just a few pictures from the Mission Trip of 2011.

This is the house the family was living in. 

The families new home we worked on. 

Singing "Awesome God" from the week of prayer for the Elementary School. 

Josh's "G1" covering (ducktape to cover his air cast) 

Singing with the kids.

Rock Climbing at Torrent Falls. 

Hiking on the last Sabbath.

 Hiking at Yahoo Falls.

Filed over 5,600 medical files. 

 

Shining, sharing lights for God!

Check out a new short video featuring Maplewood Academy students made by Andrew Christiansen.

Mission Trip Update #7

Dear Friends,

We arrived safely back at Maplewood Academy around 3:15 this afternoon.  It was a long bus trip and our bodies are sore from sitting so long on the hard bus seats.  We thank God for His protection during our travels which totaled about 2600 miles.

The students and staff are tired, but we are also very thankful that we were able to serve God in Kentucky.  We were so blessed.

Thank you for your prayers and for allowing your child to go with us on our mission trip. 
Have a great week.
--
Linda Vigil
Bible/English Teacher
Maplewood Academy

Mission Trip Update #6

Dear Friends,

Well it is Friday afternoon and we are practicing for church service tomorrow.  Our group will do the praise singing, special music, children's story, prayer, and Mr. Bowers will preach the sermon.  There is a group cleaning up the church and other living quarters.

This morning we traveled back to the house with the CEO of the hospital.  He wanted to see what all we had done. Plus we drove the students by the home that the family had lived in and it was quite silent in the bus as the students saw first hand what this family had lived in.  There are definitely many hurting people here.  We heard amazing statistics about the economy in this area.  More than 50% of the people are unemployed, over 2/3 receive government financial assistance each month, and only 10% of the students go on to college.

We met four of the boys and gave them a gift. They were quite shy but it was so nice to see their faces smiling.  We prayed for them as we left.

This is my last email, so once again I thank you for your prayers and ask that you continue to do so especially as we start traveling on Sunday morning.

Happy Sabbath from Kentucky!!!
--
Linda Vigil
Bible/English Teacher
Maplewood Academy

Mission Trip Update #5

Dear Friends,

Okay, we are tired.  Our entire group went out to the house we are fixing up for the family with six boys.  The weather was sunny and warml, so we were able to do work outside without any difficulties.  We were asked by the hospital to do work on the outside of the house.  So decks were built, cement poured, windows scraped, painted, and glazed, pond drained, barn foundation shored up, weeds pulled and grass cut all around the yard, and the inside was picked up and cleaned.  So we are tired out, but the kids worked tirelessly.  God has truly blessed us with great young people.

We have taken lots of pictures and will be anxious to see all that we have taken. The kids have a heart for ministering to others.  Four kids told me tonight that they wished they could stay here and continue to help people. 

Tomorrow we hope to meet the boys in the family, but if that doesn't work out we will go to a mission project called Red Bird Mission.  We will also finish up our week of prayer and prepare for the church service on Sabbath.

We head home early on Sunday morning, but will stay at Wisconsin Academy that night and come home to Maplewood on Monday.

Take care and I will try to post again if possible.

Thank you for your prayers.
--
Linda Vigil
Bible/English Teacher
Maplewood Academy

Mission Trip Update #4

Dear family members,

Well we finished a big day of working on the house and for the hospital.  A group of nine students went out to the house we are getting ready for the family with the six boys.  They built a deck, painted windows, dug holes and trenches, and other jobs they haven't told me about yet. The kids come back excited from their work they did.

Another group stayed and moved boxes and filed medical records for the hospitall maintenance department.  We had been working on this project for three days and in the end we filed over 5600 files and carried 850 boxes.  We are alphabetically challenged after all that filing and have sore hands, arms, legs and back from all that carrying.  I am so proud of our kids, they stuck with the project even when it was no longer fun.

Thursday, we all hope to go out to the house and try to finish the task there.

Our week of prayer has gone well with the elementary students.  They are a great bunch of students from kindergarten to 6th grade.  Each day we sing with them, perform skits, share a message, and do a group activity.  They performed a special music for us as a gift to us.  It was really special.

Thank you for your prayers.  Keep them coming.  We are blessed to be here, so thank you for all you did to allow your child to come with us.

Have a good day.
--
Linda Vigil
Bible/English Teacher
Maplewood Academy

Mission Trip Update #3

Good Morning from Kentucky,

We are doing well here.  Our group was told to be flexible because mission trips take many turns.  So we have done many different things primarily due to the weather.  But we are keeping busy with health van  ministry, health education to the public schools, working on the family's house, and cleaning up areas for the hospital. 

The students have the best attitudes.  They keep working even when the job becomes tedious.  We just want to finish they say.

We all hope to go to the family's house today.

Sorry this is short but I need to get to breakfast. Our day starts shortly with worship at the elementary school. 
--
Linda Vigil
Bible/English Teacher
Maplewood Academy

Mission Trip Update #2

Dear Maplewood Friends,

Wow, you have every reason to be proud of these kids.  They stepped up and helped with music for the church service on Sabbath and we will also be doing the whole worship service next Sabbath.  Following the church service we traveled to see the Yahoo Falls, the highest falls in Kentucky.  It was quite an adventure of driving over mountain roads.  We came upon three car accidents, and we immediately prayed for the victims.  At one of the accidents we waited in a line of traffic as the victim was airlifted out by helicopter.

We finally made it to the falls and hiked in the Appalachians to see them.  It was great to be outside in God's nature.  It was a beautiful day with temperatures in the 60s. When we returned we celebrated three birthdays--Merlyn Gottfried, Jacob Guptill, and Christine Haefner.  They all have birthdays this week.

Today, Sunday, we left early for a day of rock climbing--the kids did great.  They worked together and cheered each other on as they worked through the different climbing opportunities.  Many pictures were taken.  It was fun!!!

We are working on Week of Prayer for tomorrow.  WE will be with 17 kids in k-6 for the week and share Old Testament characters with them through the music, skits, spoken word, and activities.  Annie Hanson, Jervon Niska, Taylor Engel, Melissa Ratter, and Tessa Garmaker are the speakers.

Tomorrow we start work on the house and hospital projects.

Thanks for your prayers and support.  I will be in touch later.
--
Linda Vigil
Bible/English Teacher
Maplewood Academy

Mission Trip Update #1

Dear Maplewood Friends,

Just a quick note to say that we arrived in Kentucky after 1000 miles of travel and about 18 hours on the bus.  The kids did great on the drive, they were real troopers.  As we traveled further south we ran out of the snow on the ground but when we crossed into Kentucky it started to snow.  Ugh, we thought we had left this white stuff behind.

Today, we received our instructions for the work we will be doing here.  It will be an exciting week as we work on getting a home ready for a family here in Kentucky.  Our job will be to paint the outside of the house, build a deck, and do some yardwork.  We will also be doing some work for the Adventist Hospital as they have maintenance projects for us.  The health vans and school programs will take place next week too.
We met the elementary students at their school today.  They sang some songs with us and then our kids joined them for recess.  Funny how some of our kids commented that it is was hard to play the kid games, something about them growing older and not being able to move as quickly.

The girls are staying in house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, so the accomodations are good.  The guys are in the church basement until Sunday when they will move into the community service center which also has two bathrooms.  So we are warm and cared for.  The hospital cafeteria is feeding us and the kids are happy campers with the food choices.

No one is hurt. The cell phone coverage is good for some but not for others.  We can get internet access in the hospital.

Have a happy Sabbath.  I will contact you later.
--
Linda Vigil
Bible/English Teacher
Maplewood Academy

3M Ice Cream!

The people from 3M came into the Junior Chemistry class and helped them make ice cream in class! I'm pretty sure there isn't a yummier (or colder) way to spend Chemistry!

Union College Gymnastics Come to MWA

This Saturday, February 26, 2011, the Union College Gymnastics team will be coming to Maplewood Academy.  They will be performing a show at 7:30 p.m. in the MWA gym.  Everyone is invited, so please come and join the fun!

Mid-America Basketball Tournament Scores

Mid-America Basketball Tournament Scores
Wednesday, February 16
Maplewood 26 - Sunnydale 24 (Women)

Thursday, February 17College View 43 - Maplewood 25 (Women)
Mile High 65 - Maplewood 27 (Men)
Maplewood 37 - Campion 23 (Women)
Sunnydale 38 - Maplewood 36 (Men)

Friday, February 18Maplewood 48 - Dakota 36 (Men)
Saturday, February 19
Maplewood 46 - Mile High 36 (Women)

Sunday, February 20Minnetonka 30 - Maplewood 26 (Women)

Spirit Week- Color Theme

                The last day of spirit week was color theme day, the students were all dressed in different colors head to toe!  

Spirit Week-Pajama Day

                The third day of spirit week was a comfortable pajama day. People carried their pillows and stuffed animals around trying to stay awake.  

Spirit Week- Duck Tape Day

The second day of spirit week was duck tape day where students wrapped themselves in garbage bags and duck tape to make their beautiful dresses and suits or at least they tried their best  to and had fun trying!  

Spirit Week- Insanity Day

The first day of spirit week was insanity day, all the students and faculty dressed up in their weirdest, wackiest, brightest, and funniest customs.