Friday
On Friday morning, we congregated for our
morning routine – a Toblerone quiz and a song,
adding Jubilate Deo to our repertoire.
Then Mr. Hinrichs pulled up a stool and shared
his personal reflections on gratitude in
general, and specifically on gratitude for
love. Citing Judges 16, he contrasted true love
with the blind attraction between Samson and
Delilah. Examining the consequences of selfish
relationships, he expressed his thankfulness for
the unselfish love between ETS classmates:
friendships which consist of knowing,
appreciating, and wishing the best for one
another. Next, a group of ETS alumni, including
Zach O’Brien, Chelsea Nygaard, Autumn Swindoll,
and Kimmy Iverson, described some of their
college experiences and offered advice to the
audience of college prospects.
The next event on the morning agenda was the
annual Septathalon conquiz, which comprised
eight events: croquet, badminton, volleyball,
garden chess, bocce ball, basketball, Legos, and
(of course) interpretive dancing! As 2011
Septathalon champs, Kate Hinrichs and Kanan de
los Santos claimed the coveted Miss Congeniality
plate with a whopping 48 points! Tired and
sweaty from the competition, we fell into
formation behind the lunch table. After reading
a prayer from The Valley of Vision, Mr.
Hinrichs blessed the food and resumed his post
as Greek tutor extraordinaire and gatekeeper to
lunch. Free time followed, and once again
impromptu piano music floated from the hall.
Shouts and laughter echoed across the basketball
and volleyball courts, gradually subsiding as
students departed to prepare for the evening
ahead.
After trading T-shirts and jeans for gowns and
suits, families returned to the Hinrichs estate
for the annual Fling ball. The first stop was
the family photo shoot, courtesy of the Wesolek
family. The growing crowd of ETS parents,
students, and siblings mingled on the lawn.
Then, Mr. Hinrichs welcomed the guests and
invited the families to form a circle on the
lawn for introductions. After the Grand March
across the Hinrichs estate, the musicians tuned
their instruments – a mix of guitars, banjos,
and fiddles – and prepared to lead the dances.
With strings of white lights over our heads and
soft grass beneath our feet, we danced. With
Mr. David Hinrichs calling our steps, we
stepped, spun, and swung our way across the lawn
in lines, circles, and pairs. When the last
strains of the final swing number had faded, we
gathered in the hall to finish the night in a
medley of songs: Fairest Lord Jesus,
Angels We Have Heard on High, Dies Irae,
Amazing Grace, German Choral 72,
Dona Nobis Pacem, and the Doxology.
We reluctantly departed after the closing prayer
with a deep sense that all was well.
8:30
- Arrival Time
9:00
Contemplation of Gratitude
10:00 Reports from ETS Alumni on Various
Colleges - Please contact your alumni friends
how might be interested in participating.
10:00 - 2:00 Altruistic homeschool EXPO
Do you have a particular curriculum that
you find particularly helpful? Please
bring it to share with your fellow
homeschool moms. We will have tables set
up where you can show your material.
Please come prepared to show and learn
from others!
The thinking behind this event is that
most homeschoolers purchase used
materials, but there is no forum in
which materials can be recommended by
those familiar with them. By sharing
your knowledge, others can know which
materials to look for used and avoid
purchasing new.
10:30 Septathalon - Please make sure to have
shoes that allow athletic activity.
