Grace Academy

Jacob Wertz, a sixth-grade student at Grace Academy, will be going on a trip to Ireland, Wales, England, Belgium, Amsterdam and France through an organization called People to People. Jacob learned about the trip when a teacher nominated him to attend. After going through a interview, he was accepted. On this trip, Jacob will tour many of the historical buildings in Europe, meet people and get a taste of European culture. People to People was founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who believed that if people from different countries and cultures could communicate face to face they would be able to solve their differences and live in peace.

BOYS SOCCER Jordan Hanft had four goals and an assist to lead Grace Academy to a 7-2 win over Heritage Academy on Tuesday. A.J. Serafini had two goals and an assist for Grace (2-0), while Alex Lehman added a goal, Dalen Carlson and Steve Wilson each had an assist and Andy Eyler made 12 saves. GIRLS SOCCER Goretti 3, Musselman 3 The game between St. Maria Goretti and Musselman ended in a tie. Melanie Conner, Jillian Kline and Erin Haney each scored a goal for Goretti (1-0-1)

Jack Appleby, head master of Grace Academy, thinks what's missing in today's society is core values. He hopes to change that one child at a time, through a Christian education strong in academics. "We have to start cooperating, working together. We all have the same goal," said Appleby, a 34-year veteran of public schools in Pennsylvania. That led him to a fledgling program called Renewanation, founded by Parkway Christian Academy in Roanoke, Va., with a tagline "Offering every child a Christian world view.

Grace Academy student Christopher Fuss serves dessert Tuesday during Thanksgiving dinner at The Salvation Army in Hagerstown. Seventeen volunteers from Grace Academy helped with the dinner this year.

The St. Maria Goretti girls basketball team survived on sheer quantity in the beginning of its game against Grace Academy on Thursday night. But quality is what carried the Gaels to an easy victory. Goretti made just 3 of 20 field goals (15 percent) in the first quarter before settling in to make 19 of its last 39 (48.7 percent) to defeat Grace 47-26 for its third win in a row. "It wasn't that we were getting better looks, we just got in the flow a little bit more," said Goretti senior Angie Nevarez, who led her team with 18 points.

The Christmas stocking drive at Grace Academy in Hagerstown collected more than 100 stockings for The Salvation Army children. The second-grade class was the first class in the school to fill 12 stockings. The Grace Academy Missions Team was in charge of the project and took the Christmas stockings to The Salvation Army to be given to children in need.

The Grace Academy Missions Team has been established to reach out to the community and help those in need. In December, the team collected toys for St. Jude Children's Cancer Research Hospital. The team collected more than 340 toys to ship to the children in the hospital, hoping to put smiles on their faces at Christmas. The team also bagged food for seniors at Food Resources, volunteered at Coffman Nursing Home, where they visited and played bingo with residents, and visited patients at Western Maryland Hospital.

The third annual Race for Ryan 6-K cross country race was held Saturday on the grounds of Grace Academy. The top finisher was Luke Daigneault, 16, from Smithsburg High School, who ran the 6-K in 21:57. The top female finisher was MacKenzie Riford, 18, who ran a time of 26:04 and won for the third time. Both runners set course records. The race honors the memory of Ryan Myers, who died April 9, 2009. Riford had been coached in soccer by Ryan Myers and Scott Myers in junior high at Grace Academy.

GIRLS BASKETBALL Erin Haney scored a game-high 20 points to lead St. Maria Goretti to a 55-25 victory over Grace Academy in the Broadfording Lions Classic on Tuesday. Sarah Spierenburg added 10 points for the Gaels (2-0). Megan Cox had 13 points for Grace (1-3).

The Broadfording Christian Academy volleyball team won the Mason Dixon Christian Conference championship by beating rival Grace Academy in four games. From left to right: Emily Stransky, coach Joe Cartwright, Jessica Spielman, Emily Ahalt, Meagan Taylor, Hannah Young, Lydia Lawson, Danielle DuBois, Ariana Litten, Becca Adams and coach Tina Conner.