Weekly Re-Cap: November 30

by Aaron Bass

It was a busy week for Orlando Christian Prep!

On Monday, after a 130-105 win over The First Academy, our Quiz Team was able to qualify for the playoffs of the Orange County Quiz Bowl League, for the first time in our school's history. Be sure to congratulate all of the coaches and players on the quiz bowl team! In the first round in the playoffs, they will play the 1st seed Trinity Prep, so wish them luck! 

On Tuesday, our Soccer Team was unfortunate to take a loss against Faith Christian Academy in a 5-1 defeat. The soccer team's next outing is against Circle Christian at 7:00 pm on Friday night. The JV Boys Basketball Team was victorious in Tuesday's game against Forest Lake. The Girls Varsity Basketball Team, unfortunately, lost to Forest Lake by only 3 points. 

Our Varsity Boys Basketball Team was in action on Wednesday against a strong and mighty Winter Springs High School, and were able to take a destructive win. The Warriors face Cypress Creek on Friday. Also on Wednesday, our Middle School Boys Basketball players were in action in Winter Springs, as well, and they were also able to come out on top of the scoreboard and take home the win.

On Thursday, the Quiz Team participated in an online national tournament called "3-2-1," participating in the high school, middle school, and, for the first time, elementary, divisions. The students had a great time, ate pizza, and performed well!

Next week proves to be another exciting one for OCP. Go Warriors!

Quiz Team Highlight

by Christian Smith

Quiz bowl is an academic, team based competition that tests students on different areas of knowledge. The Orlando Christian Prep quiz team was established during the 2011-2012 school year by Mr. Soucie, where two middle school teams competed in the FACCS Brain Bowl. A high school team started the following year with the help of Mr. Salomon. Mr. Sango came on as a co-coach in 2013, which was also the first year that OCP competed in the Orange County Quiz Bowl League. The OCP quiz team competes in various formats and tournaments in addition to the FACCS Brain Bowl and the Orange County league, and has even been to national competitions on several occasions.

So far this year, OCP’s quiz team has experienced ups and downs, finishing their fall season 5-6. Some peaks this season include winning their first two games, which put them “undefeated” for a time, and winning their final game against the higher-ranked First Academy. The hardest loss was against Trinity Prep, primarily because OCP was up at the half, but then Trinity Prep caught a second wind and took the win. 

OCP is headed to the Orange County playoffs for the first team this year. They will play at Olympia High on Monday and face the #1-ranked Trinity Prep in the first round. They will then shift gears as they begin to prepare for the FACCS Brain Bowl, which is a two-day state-level tournament held in Daytona in January. 

The OCP Quiz Team continues to improve. We hope they follow their best fall season to date with their best Brain Bowl performance ever this winter!

Florida Election Results 2018

by Nick Bell

The past few weeks have been very important for our country and state. Tuesday, November 6 was voting day for our midterm elections, and Florida residents voted for a new governor and a US senate position. Many amendments were on the ballot, as well. 

With Rick Scott’s term over, our two primary candidates for a new governor were Democrat Andrew Gillum and Republican Ron DeSantis. Election night results put DeSantis on top, but the race was so close that it went to a recount. For the US Senate race, the main candidates were Republican Rick Scott and the incumbent, Democrat Bill Nelson. This race was also extremely close, with Rick Scott winning the initial count. But, with Nelson’s refusal to concede, it too went to a recount. In the end, after the recounts were settled, DeSantis was named governor with a margin of less than 33,000 votes out of 8 million cast, and Scott is headed to the Senate, with a margin of just over 10,000 votes! In true Florida fashion, even our race for agriculture commissioner went to a recount.

One of the most talked about constitutional amendments on the ballot was Amendment 3, which allows voters to control the right to authorize expansions of casino gambling. This amendment received a lot of attention and voters took notice by passing it. Amendment 4 was passed, allowing non-violent felons the right to vote after they have served their time. Amendment 13 was also passed, which will end dog racing in Florida starting in 2020. Proponents say this will help end cruelty towards racing greyhounds.

Even though most of us students cannot vote yet, it is good to stay informed on political issues in our world. We encourage everyone to stay informed on all politics in our state and country. When we're 18, let's be sure to head to the polls ourselves. In today's day of tiny margins and recounts, it's clear that every vote matters! Let's all continue to pray for our country as new leaders come into power.

New Teacher Highlight: Mrs. April Holmes

by Raymond Rodriguez

This week in the Warrior Nation, my team and I sat down with Mrs. April Holmes for this week’s New Teacher Highlight. Mrs. Holmes was born in 1980 in North Carolina. She attended East Lincoln High School, where she played softball, basketball, and ran cross country. After graduating high school, Mrs. Holmes attended the University of Florida, where she majored in sports science. 

Mrs. Holmes and her husband Frederick have been married for sixteen years. She is a mother to two boys named Cody and Titus, and in her spare time enjoys watching her boys play soccer and baseball.

Mrs. Holmes has been teaching for fifteen years, and is currently a fourth grade teacher here at Orlando Christian Prep. If you see Mrs. Holmes around the halls or with her class, make sure to stop and say hello and welcome her to OCP!

OCP Students Headed to Israel!

by Nick Bell

This winter, OCP will be sending a group of students to Israel for a student leadership conference. They will be learning about leadership, as well as doing some sightseeing. Last year, some of the same students also attended a leadership trip to Germany. These trips are offered through a company called Global Next, which is an Christian organization run by Dr. Phil Johnson dedicated to teaching leadership skills to young people. Last year, during the Germany trip he taught our students life skills and how to build a better life. This year, he is focusing on middle eastern history, Jewish conflict, and the impact of various views of Biblical prophecy.

Being selected to represent OCP for this trip is an honor. Students had to meet academic qualifications (3.5 GPA or higher) as well as have no disciplinary write-ups. Students then had to submit a minimum 500 word essay explaining who influenced them to be a leader in life and how that affects them. The students had their essays reviewed by Mrs. Jacobson and Mrs. Millett, who then narrowed down the students who would be invited.

Sophomore Jacob Brommer, who will be a first-timer on an OCP leadership trip, commented he was extremely excited to partake in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to another country, and added that he has always wanted to see the western wall in Jerusalem. Jacob is hoping to learn more about Israel's history and learn new ways to lead in his community and make a positive impact. He is grateful for Global Next and Dr. Phil Johnson, as well as OCP, for giving him this great opportunity.

Junior Megan Soucie, who attended the trip to Germany and is also attending the Israel trip this year, commented that she was grateful for the Germany trip, where she learned about her strengths and passions. She also learned a lot of the history of Germany that she had not previously known. Regarding the upcoming trip, she says she is excited to walk where Jesus walked when he was on Earth, as well as to float in the Dead Sea. She also added she is excited to learn more about the Israeli culture, and as far as leadership aspects such as how to communicate better with people and relate to them on a more personal level. Megan would like to thank Mrs. Jacobson, Global Next, and anyone donates money or buys popcorn to support the trip.

Overall, the students attending the trip are very excited and grateful for the opportunity to experience another country and learn new leadership skills that can be applied to their lives. They are thankful to God, Global Next, and anyone involved in the process of sending them to Israel. Our students still need our help, however. They each have to raise about $3,200, so we encourage all Warriors to pitch in and help out. The students attending the trip are currently selling gourmet popcorn, and they also appreciate donations of any amount. This is a great time to show Warrior spirit in giving to a great cause! Let’s also support them with prayer: that they’ll raise the money they need, have a great experience, and safe travels. Go Warriors!

Athlete of the Week: Carlos Tavares

by Christian Smith

This week, we chose to highlight OCP student Carlos Tavarez for our athlete feature. Carlos was chosen because of his outstanding performance on the football field. 

Carlos has played football since he was five years old, having been introduced to the sport by his father, who was also a player. He came to Orlando Christian Prep in the 6th grade, and has been playing football as a Warrior since 7th grade. Carlos is a driven football player he won't stop working until the outcome he desires is reached, and is one of the most competitive players I have ever played with. Carlos is 150 lbs “soaking wet,” but still takes down his opponents, in fact he regularly conquers men on the football field who are two to three times his size. 

Carlos is an encouraging teammate to all his fellow athletes. He’s also willing to do what is best for the team -- even though he hates running the play "tiger rip," he runs the play without error. These are just a couple characteristics that make him an outstanding athlete. 

When asked about the upcoming playoffs, Carlos said, "I have the same mindset as any football player, you know? Once I step on that field, I lock in... ain't nothing stopping me from reaching my goal -- and that's getting that dub on Friday nights."

New Teacher Highlight: Miss Pittman

by Jerahmeel King

This week in the Warrior nation, we interviewed Miss Sierra Pittman, a new first grade teacher here at Orlando Christian Prep. Miss Pittman was born in 1996, and raised right here in Orlando, where she attended Eastland Christian School. 

Miss Pittman’s favorite subject in school was English, and she was also involved in speech and drama. In high school, she also played volleyball and worked on the yearbook. After high school, Miss Pittman attended the University of Central Florida, where she studied early child education. She came to teach here at OCP because she knew some of the people who worked here, and she felt this was where God wanted her.

Miss Pittman is currently engaged, and is really happy with her fiancé. In her spare time, she likes to hang out with friends and spend quality time with her fiancé. She also spends time tutoring. Please join us here at the Warrior Weekly in giving Miss Pittman a big OCP welcome!