Shawnee Mission Christian School, Once Again
Classes started again at Shawnee Mission Christian School in the fall of 2001, with a mustang as the mascot and columbia blue and navy blue as the colors to distinguish from the original school. Missionary Jeff Bunjer was called to be the new administrator of the much smaller school. His wife, Alice, was the kindergarten teacher, and later the school secretary.
Jeff Bunger
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Alice Bunjer
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Because the school was starting over, and only had a summer to prepare, a new curriculum was chosen. Alpha and Omega had booklets that allowed students to work at their own pace, and at their own level of learning, so individual workspaces were created. Lynnda Lantz was the K-4 teacher, Alice Bunjer taught the Kindergarteners, Terry Bass taught the 1st - 2nd grades, while Heather Davis (who had joined MOCS just the year before) became the 3rd – 6th grade teacher. Jeff Bunjer, Albert Armitage, Dan Griffin, Louie Gonzales, Sandy Stone and others taught the junior and senior high students. Little by little more families joined the school, and more traditional classes were formed, with Abeka and Bob Jones curriculum becoming the standard. The school also saw the return of several teachers, including Peter and Anna Bourdess, Becky Guess, and Marlena Zink.
The families of SMCS enjoyed the leadership of Jeff Bunjer for about 16 years. Students appreciated his patience and extra math tutoring, as well as the time he spent as the choir director and a class sponsor. Mrs. Bunjer’s stromboli became a lunchtime favorite, both then and now. In 2010, Mr. Bunjer felt called to leave the administrative roll and return to the classroom. Then in 2017, the Bunjers were called away to Faith Baptist Bible College.
Mr. John Tilson (former principal of Oak Grove Baptist School) became the new administrator in 2010, after retiring from a secular job. For several years he took juniors and seniors to a camp in Nebraska for a “Leadership Retreat”. Students completed various work projects, and there were also times for spiritual training during the week. In addition to being the administrator, he also coached soccer and basketball.
Scott Edmondson
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John Tilson
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Mr. Tilson retired from SMCS in 2016, and Mr. Scott Edmondson was called to be the new administrator. He had been involved in Christian education in Missouri and Tennessee before coming to SMCS. He and his wife, Lillie, both taught in the school. He was also became the athletic director and coached basketball.
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Four years later, during the height of COVID regulations, Ms. Marlena Zink stepped back into leadership as the next administrator. Through her direction the school was able to continue in-person classes with social distancing, hand washing stations, and lots of sanitizer and Clorox wipes. She continues to guide the school through the ups and downs of Christian education. We thank God for all of the godly people He has brought to the school, from the leadership and teachers to the Olivet volunteers who help in so many different ways.
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Marlena Zink
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