Rehoboth Christian School

History

The school was started as Rehoboth Mission School in 1903 by Christian Reformed Church (CRC) missionaries to the Navajo and Zuni people. The missionaries of Dutch descent named the settlement "Rehoboth", meaning "plenty of room", It opened with six Navajo children aged 5 – 11. By 1985, enrollment had grown to 375 pupils, of whom 63% were Native Americans, mostly Navajo. In 2002, the school's then-executive director, Ron Polinder, was quoted as saying, "We came here 100 years ago with some cultural arrogance, expecting Native American people to become like white people".

, there are 511 students in grades Pre K-12. In the 1970s, control transitioned to a local school board largely made up of Native American parents, and in 1973 the school’s name was changed to Rehoboth Christian School.

Rehoboth Christian School is listed as one of the 50 Best Christian High Schools in America for 2020 by TheBestSchools.org. Approximately sixty-five percent of the school's students go on to college.

Campus

The entire campus is approximately 162 acre in size, with new high school facilities built in 2018. In addition to academic studies, students attend classes in the Bible. Courses in Technology are accommodated by three networked computer labs and a mobile laptop lab with wireless internet access. The school has seven smart-board classrooms, along with mounted projectors in its eight elementary classrooms as well as all high school classrooms. The school's library has 14,000 titles with digital catalog search and magazine subscriptions. There is a Navajo Code Talkers Communication Center.

The Sports and Fitness Center includes a weight room, two full-size basketball courts, turf soccer field and rubberized track. The gymnasium is equipped with a ropes course, and indoor and outdoor climbing walls.

The school includes half of the Calvin-Rehoboth Robotic Observatory, equipped with a Meade Instruments 10’ LX200 telescope with digital camera.

Rehoboth's dormitories, apartments and RV park are available for short and long term volunteers and guests.

Students

The Rehoboth Christian School student body consists of 67% Native American students, 23% Anglo students, and 10% of other ethnic minority backgrounds. More than 13 denominations are represented at Rehoboth, including Christian Reformed, Baptists, and Catholic churches. As of the 2011–2012 school year, there were 497 children enrolled in grades PreK-12.

Recent student honors include:

• Chief Manuelito Scholars: (2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014,)
• Daniel’s Scholarship (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
• Gallup Rotary (2010, 2011, 2013, 2014)
• Gates Millennium Scholars (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014).

A highlight for middle school students took place in 1999, when 7th and 8th graders participated in an inter-cultural video teleconference with students in Dayton, Ohio. The students presented Navajo crafts and dress to students in the Buckeye State, as well as bragging about the beauty of their New Mexico scenery.

Faculty

The school has 37 full-time teaching staff members and five part-time staff members. Although Rehoboth is no longer a boarding school, as of early 2000s some faculty were still living on campus. The school's Art teacher since 1978, Elmer Yazzie, is noted for painting Biblical scenes using his own brushes handmade from the yucca plant. A Navajo, Yazzie has presented his artistry at workshops in Hanford, California. Another art teacher at the school, Steven E. Heil, is a published author. He wrote a 2001 article, "Traditional Earthen Architecture in the Art Curriculum", for the National Art Education Association's Art Education magazine. In it, he discussed the value of teaching the creative process of architectural design in a school's art curriculum, especially as it relates to local culture. In studying adobe structures in his classes, Heil said, Zuni students learned "something that was theirs ... is valuable and worth preserving".

Accreditation

Rehoboth Christian School is accredited by CSI (Christian Schools International).

Extracurricular activities

21st Century After-School Program: Over 200 students from Rehoboth and nearby Church Rock Elementary attend this federally funded after-school enrichment program, including tutoring and sport programs.

Activities include choir, school band and sports. In 2010, ten students made the All-State choir. The high school choir has toured California, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Germany. In 2002, the choir performed in Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada). The high school band toured the Pacific Northwest and California in 2011, and toured Texas, Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota in 2013. In 2014, for example, the high school choir of 50 singers presented I Will Rise in Bellingham, Washington, in conjunction with the choir of Lynden Christian School.

• Fall Sports: Boys Soccer; Girls Soccer; Girls Volleyball; Boys Cross Country; Girls Cross Country.
• Winter Sports: Boys Basketball; Girls Basketball.
• Spring Sports: Boys Track & Field; Girls Track & Field; Boys Baseball; Girls Softball; Boys Club Tennis; Girls Club Tennis.

References

References

1. Mulder-Behnia, Bonny. (2002). "Rehoboth Christian School Celebrates Century of Faithfulness". [[Calvin University]].
2. and the school's entrance sign ''(pictured)'' quotes {{bibleverse. Genesis. 26:22. NIV, "Now the Lord has given us room, we shall flourish in the land". It was established on the {{convert. 320. acre. ha
3. (May 21, 1985). "Rehoboth Christian School". [[Albuquerque Journal]].
4. "Core Values/Shared Commitments". Rehoboth Christian School.
5. "Rehoboth History". Rehoboth Christian School.
6. "Rehoboth Christian Schools". [[Christian Reformed Church in North America.
7. Schaap, James. (2011). "Rehoboth, A Place For Us". Faith Alive Christian Resources.
8. "Rehoboth History". Rehoboth Christian School.
9. (2020-10-29). "The 50 Best Christian High Schools in America". TheBestSchools.org.
10. "Sport & Fitness Center". Rockford Construction.
11. "Calvin-Rehoboth Robotic Twin Telescopes".
12. "Rehoboth Campus Tour". Rehoboth Christian School.
13. "Rehoboth Facts". Rehoboth Christian School.
14. Eichhorn, Rick. (May 4, 1999). "Technology — Newspapers in Education". [[Dayton Daily News]].
15. Martha Bolton. (2006). "The Cafeteria Lady Eats Her Way Across America". Gospel Light Publications.
16. (March 13, 1998). "Navajo artist holds open house". [[Hanford Sentinel]].
17. Heil, Steven E.. (March 2001). "Traditional Earthen Architecture in the Art Curriculum". [[National Art Education Association]].
18. "Rehoboth Accreditation". Christian Schools International.
19. (March 14, 2002). "British Columbia Boys Choir". [[Vancouver Sun]].
20. (March 27, 2014). "Rehoboth Christian School/Lynden Christian School Choir Concert". [[The Bellingham Herald]].
21. "Rehoboth High School Sports". Rehoboth Christian School.