Wow, We were busy before Christmas!

December was a very busy month for us at RJC! Here is a brief review before we get going on blogging for the new year.

We started off December by performing Beauty and the Beast. The play included a huge cast and many working behind the scenes to present the production to three sold out crowds. The production was a delight for both old and young!

Erin Boldt was delightful as Lumiere as well as Lori Pauls as Mrs. Potts

Jordan Wiens as Gaston, Laura Civica as La Fou and Katie McLellan as the director of the insane asylum.

Hugo Malan had the lead role of the Beast and Katie Baschak was the lovely Belle.

The students supported 10,000 Villages by hosting a sales here in the rehearsal hall. Over $1,000 dollars was raised by our student body.

In the meantime, many efforts have been going into our own fundraising initiative called Pennies for Poverty. Team 'girls' are determined to out do team 'boys' in our friendly competition to see who raises the most money. Each group has been coming up with creative ways to raise money. Some of the ideas include hosting a Mario Kart tournament for poverty, a dutch blitz tournament for poverty, shinny for poverty, bottle drives, bake sales, tie dye for poverty and even hair removal for poverty and many more. The proceeds with go to two projects. Some of the funds raised will go to support the local Food Pantry Project. The rest of the money will be going to assist a MCC project that the RJC students with be involved with in February in Guatemala which includes building an eco-friendly cabin in San Marcos to promote eco-tourism for the local people. We have raised over 1,300 dollars so far. The Pennies for Poverty project ends January 25th. Any contributions for either team would be welcomed!

Dutch Blitz for Poverty

Hannah Jones and Laura Civica raising money by creating and auctioning off tye-dyed t-shirts for the cause

The boys edged out the girls by pulling out in front with a slight lead. Here the boys display the amount that they have raised to date.

The staff sadly is in 3rd place

Celebrating the birth of Christ was the theme for many of the December Chapels. The Faith and Life committee presented the 'Canadian Nativity Scene'. It included Mary and Joseph (Marie and Jacque) being carried in on a donkey (polar bear), the stable being visited by shepherds (hockey players) and the three wisepersons ( Pierre Trudeau, Margaret Atwood and Lloyd Schmidt).

We also celebrated "Graduation" in December with Jim Cheng. We wish Jim well as he leaves us to join second semester at the University of Saskatchewan.

The SRC organized 'Winter Fun Day' for the student body. We took half a day to celebrate the cold weather and to relieve stress by running and playing in the great outdoors!

Carly Dyck keeps a watchful eye on Luke Derksen during the snow soccer game

Staffer, Lloyd Schmidt gets in on the action, keeping the ball from Joey Fan.

Vichael Ho gets a kick out of playing in the snow.

Hockey players enjoyed a shinny game in the rink

Angels appeared on the RJC campus!

Hannah Jones protests a staff member's unorthodox style of playing defence in an ultimate frisbee game.

Taylor Roy has to jump high to catch this pass.

You can't have a winter fun day without a monkey pile on unsuspecting staff member Ryan Wood.

Oh....look we did go to classes too during all of this! Stephanie Isaak and Teresa Friesen hard at work.

During the final week of school, the students continued to celebrate the Christmas season with a formal banquet.

Which was followed by a coffeehouse and an evening of activity.

Deans, Graeme Rinholm and Nic Fast entertain the students during the Christmas coffeehouse.

A duet by John Baker and Sarah Nickel.

A little 'hip hop' dancing!

We spent the last afternoon before the break cleaning up and getting ready for the Christmas Concert. Everyone was so excited. Christmas vacation coming soon!

Erika Hooge and Allison Goerzen take a break from latrine duty for a little 'air guitar'

Vichael Ho and Yuri Yuel scrub the floor in the boys dorm clean. Kyle Parton is on wall duty. Can you hear the loud music blaring in the background?

The RJC Chorale presented a noon program at the Station Arts Centre in town on the last day of school. It was a good warm up for the evening Christmas concert.

Erik Epp and Heidi Epp, co-presidents, welcome everyone to the Christmas concert.

Richard Janzen leads Concert Choir in the opening number.

Luke Driedger-Enns and Jamieson Fitzgerald perform a duet during the offertory with Lynn Driegder-Enns on violin and Audrey Janzen on piano.

There. Now we can get on with January! Hockey and both basketball teams jumped back into their seasons. As well be are busy preparing for Open House and for the end of semester. Exam week is looming in the near future! Watch for future blog posts!