The teacher becomes the student

This morning, as the students arrived off of the bus, I was greeted by cheers of delight:  'Mr. Huinink, the snow came!!"  Together, we revelled in the possibilities that their time outside would bring: the forts, the snowmen, the snow angels....

Recess time brought more of the same:  a true delight in the moment, in the gift of a snowfall.

Admittedly, I love snow but had been caught up in the 'business' surrounding it. Snow clearing contracts, possible bus cancellations, shovelling the wet and heavy sludge left by the snowplough.... delight was not my first reaction.

In our schools, one of our deepest hopes is that our children will learn to intuitively delight in the works of the Lord... that they will acknowledge Him for his good works.

Today's prayer requests from the students as we began the day were peppered with a true and deep gratitude to God for the snow this morning.  This teacher became the student as I watched and allowed them to share with me their delight in our Creator.  Perhaps this is what Christ meant also when he informed his disciples that they should have the faith of a child.

Praise the Lord!
I will thank the Lord with all my heart
    as I meet with his godly people.
How amazing are the deeds of the Lord!
    All who delight in him should ponder them.
Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty.
    His righteousness never fails.
He causes us to remember his wonderful works.
    How gracious and merciful is our Lord!

Psalm 111:1-4

Growth Mindset - not just for students....

We've been talking more lately about growth mindset for students, how to encourage learning, how to think about failure and success, and really believing that students can grow and learn.  Intelligence is not a fixed point, but one that can be moved with learning, persistence and hard work.  

An important part of encouraging this growth is engaging in it ourselves not only to model that for students but also to see that learning is never done.  Our success as a school or as teachers is not based on our innate abilities, but on the fact that we work at growing developing our methods.

This Thursday and Friday, our administration team and two teachers from each school will be travelling to Rochester, New York to join a large group of Christian School teachers from around Ontario in a visit to a charter school there.  Together we will observe, interact, and stretch ourselves to see how we can grow, learn and benefit our schools with great teaching and learning methods.  The benefit of travelling with other teaching professionals allows us to encourage one another not only within our own schools but to grow a network of engaged educators dedicated to making Christian Education better.

Please pray for open hearts and minds to growth, not only of our own practice in individual classrooms and schools but of Christian Education overall.  May God be glorified in our constant and restless seeking of relationship with Him and in our daily act of worship in our work!

'Tis the Season

If you've spent any time outside of your home and in the world of commerce, you know that it's beginning (already) to look a lot like Christmas.  Regardless of your feelings about this (I sense some reactions both of delight and of disgust!), Christmas is entering the mindset of our kids, like it or not!!!

In a Christian community, this is a holiday season that we can jump up and seize the opportunity to teach our kids just how amazing 'Christ came down' really is. One of the blessings of a Christian school is the opportunity to daily orient our students to Christ and what God accomplished in sending his son, and to spur them on to a faithful response.  As I write this, the following things are happening in our schools:

1. Christmas Carol rehearsal for singing at the Stoney Creek library (next week!!)
2. Band rehearsals for our appearance in the Smithville and Grimsby Christmas parades (this Saturday and next Saturday!)
3. Gifts are piling up for Rose City kids annual Christmas party. (CCS)
4. Donations arriving  for City Kidz, and planning for the Mitten tree. (JKCS)
5. Planning and rehearsing for our Christmas assemblies on December 23 (9 am at JKCS, 11:05 at CCS)

Christmas is the perfect time to answer the question so many of our kids ask:  'Why?'.  As we move into advent and journey together in anticipation, we at NACE pray a blessing over your family and your activities that will highlight the coming Saviour.  Together, we will ensure that our children know without a doubt the 'Reason for the Season'.

Am I included, or do I belong?

I was speaking with a friend recently on the topic of inclusion, and how or whether we, in private Christian schools really are inclusive.
I don't have a reference for it (let me know if you know who said it!), but she left me with a quote that took a while to mentally digest:  "Inclusion means that we will include you if you show up.  Belonging means that we will look for you if you aren't there."
On the heels of an amazing weekend of support for our Christian schools, I'm watching (and celebrating) as our community diversifies.  There are some who have been a part of the fabric of our schools since before we opened.  There are others who have just discovered who we are and what we are about.  Coincidentally, this latter group is the one that often comes to us and reminds us "Do you KNOW what a great thing you have here?"  
Another long-time supporter of our schools said to me about a year ago: "I know that we're warm and friendly.  I think we can be hospitable, but we need to be taught how..."
What cultures exist in our schools that make it difficult for people to feel like they belong?  Can we build a culture that makes it easy for people to become one of 'us'? A parent new to our community celebrated with us the other day that their child had been invited to a birthday party.  That child was not just included but invited into relationship beyond the structure of a school day.  That simple act communicated to the child that they were not only included, but that they belonged.
Perhaps we have a lot to learn from our kids!  
In our adult world, what opportunities do we have to make sure that those who are new or different (or even just starting to check us out) feel welcome, and that we would look for them if they weren't there?  Are they just included, or do they truly belong?
Matthew 25:35-40   Mark 10:45

Friend-raising

We are in the season of fundraising for our schools.  We have come through successful peach-peeling, apple pie-making, a golf tournament... we are in the midst of our annual fall drive and are about to launch into our Family Fun Fest.

In the non-profit world of development, some of this activity is often referred to as 'Friend-Raising'.  Definitions vary wildly around this made-up word, but it is a concept I've grown to love as it refers to some of our efforts here at NACE.  Developing friends and relationships with people who love our schools and want to see them thrive is the central tenet of this activity, and with acknowledgement to the writers atwww.101fundraising.org, I give you the following thoughts around our activity this year:

• F - Fun. Fundraising can be fun.  Connecting new people to NACE and building friendships as we work together are added benefits to the funds generated by our activity.
  
• R - Relationship.  By running similar events year after year, we grow relationships with people willing to give a second, third, fourth time, and actually expect and look forward to our call for assistance.
  
• I - Innovation.  New people coming on board help us to see how we've done things and how to improve them.  Our fundraising is constantly changing to adapt to what people need, want, and how to connect even more people to the cause of Christian Education.
  
• E - Everyone.  In an organisation like NACE, there is a chance for 100% involvement in fundraising.  If not with one event, then another, or a few!
  
• N - Network.  Each of us is involved in multiple organisations.  By getting together, we see each other in other venues and can carry the vision of NACE beyond our own small community.  Many relationships have been forged long term due to the networks you are connected to!
  
• D - Dialogue.  As we meet together over activities and fundraising, and carrying forward our mission as a school society, we get to know one another and get to appreciate our commonalities.  We get to know our support community and why they love NACE.  This dialogue is important to keep our friendships alive and flourishing.
  

As you involve yourself in our fundraising, challenge yourself to make new friends - with donors, with supporters, with others in the NACE community.  That new person you meet is NACE's next long-term friendship in the making!

F2F

It's that time!  We are ready for that hallmark of the school year: Parent-Teacher interviews.  This regularly scheduled meeting has a number of goals and objectives, but the most central of all is to 'ensure that our students are on the right path to learning'.  

When I bring up the topic of parent-teacher interviews, both parents are teachers alike can respond in fear and trepidation.  In mainstream media, we hear stories of confrontation, defensiveness, shame, etc etc etc stemming from the PTI.  This popular rendition, thankfully, is not what we experience on a regular basis at NACE.  In a community where the parents are so invested in their children's education and the school, these meetings quickly convey the shared support and investment we have in our children's well-begin and education.  

So now that the year has begun and the emails, newsletters, class reports, and other modes of communication have flown back and forth, it is time for some dedicated discussion on how the year has begun.  The Face-to-Face, or F2F as our texting teens refer to it.  Even the avid online communicator knows that eventually, we need to bridge the gap that other connections miss and sit down together face-to-face.

While I'm on popular media, sayings, and culture, perhaps an often used cliche applies to the feeling I get before and after a round of parent teacher interviews: "We're all in this together!"  Thank God for a community focussed on raising our children together in the light of God's word and faithfulness!

Weaving Christ into Habit and Celebration

I watched over the weekend as my family pulled away from the 'busy-ness' of everyday life and was able to enjoy a long weekend.  Thanksgiving.  It was a relatively typical Thanksgiving weekend as I look through my Facebook feed this morning and see that so many other families engaged in similar activities: Driving to family, preparation of a large meal, hikes in the fall colours, and games with siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends.

I spent some time yesterday with a cousin paging through a photo album of 'Thanksgivings past' which documented my father's extended family and their celebrations over the years.  Along with comment of how styles have changed, how some of our family members are no longer with us, and how we've grown, there was a distinct sense of God's faithfulness and providence.  I recall over the years the ways in which Christ was made present at and invited to each gathering and how instrumental my family and extended family was in affirming and re-affirming that God is good, all the time.  Even, and perhaps especially, in the not-so-good times.

As a school community, it is that same habit that we seek to build daily.  God is here in our hallways.  He is in our every day.  He is present when we celebrate, and in the everyday routine;  when we begin the day, and when we end it; and when we learn everything in between.  God is good, all the time.

Some day in the distant future, when your kids look back to school days past, it is my prayer that they will remember that most poignantly, and that it will have carried on into their everyday and into their celebration.

Testing

This week and next, we will be assessing our students' abilities in reading, writing, and mathematics.  This is a new initiative that many other schools are beginning with us from grades 1 through 8.  Please find the letter attached to this newsletter for more details. 

We know that math and literacy skills are important, and that to be an educational institution worth its merit, we need to teach and learn these things well.  These tests are an important part of that process.  HOWEVER, they are not an indicator of so many things of value.

These tests will not measure how students treated each other last week, if they were polite to the stranger, if they helped around the house, if they comforted someone who needed it, or if they tried to include someone who was left out. They won't measure their character, the depth of their thinking, or what they care about.  The lowest standardised test score in the school may belong to the most caring, empathetic, and loving student among us.  We know that which is why the results will be important, but they will take their proper place among all of the other assessments and feedback we engage in on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis, which include so much more than what a test can measure.

Ultimately, each student at NACE is valued, but even we get it wrong.  It's important to remind ourselves often that our students are not valued for any of these things in God's eyes.  When God sees them, he sees his Son who bears their sins and wipes them away.  

The cross of Christ.  How's that for a standardised test?  Romans 5:9-11

How are you doing?

If your family is anything like mine, the past few weeks have been a blur.  We started a few weeks ago with new school supplies, a fresh and ready for school smile (my tween son even asked me to make sure I woke him early to leave for school!), and the excitement of new things in a new year.

We are now settling in to routines, figuring out sports and activity schedules, finding time for homework and music practices, and working through new church season activity schedules.  Getting out of bed in the morning is not as easy as it was on that first day!!!

Now that the shine is (literally!) wearing off of the first few days of school, I'm checking in.  How are you and your family doing?  One of the hallmarks of a good relationship is the ability to listen, and I would love to hear your story(ies).  There are always good things happening, and there are always things that could be better.  One game our family plays on a daily basis over dinner is called "Two stars and a strike.....",  where my wife and I attempt to pry out of our children an evaluation of the day - what were two good things you experienced today, and what was one hard thing?  Often, there is very little we can do to change any of their experiences, but it gives them an opportunity to express not only what is happening, but how they are handling those experiences.

So, let me do the same with you!  Can you tell me two stars and a strike?  None of the questions is mandatory - you can skip straight to the strike, or you can provide only stars...  but I'll provide opportunity for both.  

Three ways you can respond:  

1) Online - https://goo.gl/forms/svQ1AYnqV4rvB2wj2  (this is easiest!)

2) Email - Send me an email with the subject "Two Stars and a Strike"

3) Write it down and send it in to the office to my attention.

Blessings to you as you enter this new week that the Lord has made.  We will rejoice and be glad in it!!!

Unity in Diversity

Last week, I asked for prayers for our upcoming week of committee meetings as they began their work for the year.  Along with the beginning of many different tasks ahead of us, I was also able to take part in the annual NACE/SCH golf tournament. If I'm left after this week with any lasting impression of NACE and its supporters (spiritual, practical, moral, financial, and visionary), it would be that we are indeed a community with many differences as well as a community committed to unity.  

We hail from as far apart as Hamilton and Welland, are country and city, are old and young, are products of Christian education ourselves, or just new to the experience.  And yet, there is a common passion and excitement about what NACE schools do and can mean for our kids.

Are we always in agreement?  No, of course not.  We are diverse, and with diversity will come different ideas and opinions.   I will share later this year my thoughts on healthy conflict, but I will say this:  where there is disagreement, there is discomfort and a longing for unity.  There is also an 'iron sharpening iron' where ideas are able to percolate and good ones are able to rise to the surface.

This diversity is what initially drew me to come to work at NACE.  Different school communities coming together to work together and celebrate what each brings to the table and capitalising on our strengths together.... I believe it provides us with a glimpse of God's coming Kingdom.

Are you a hand?  A foot?  An eye?  

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honour to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:21-27)

If we aspire to have our children live in this way, it needs to begin with us - the adults and mentors in their lives to set an example in their school, classrooms, and at home.

This week, Mrs. Dejardins, Mrs. Koornneef and I have the privilege of joining colleagues at the Canada Christian Schools Conference.  Please pray for us as we seek unity and to be challenged by our friends in Christian education across our Nation, and that God will continue to be glorified in our diversity there and here at home.

Vibrant Community

On Friday night of last week, a group of students at John Knox 'outed' me.  They figured out what they thought was my master plan.  "You're going to go to the other school so that you can get dessert there too!"  Indeed.  It was true.  I got to enjoy dessert with the John Knox community as they kicked off the year together and then drove up to Covenant to do the same.  And there was plenty of dessert left!!

Enjoying time together over food and common vision is a healthy practice of vibrant community.  It was a privilege to take part in both events that happened simultaneously.   As we look forward to 2016-17, there are many opportunities that we will have to gather together to dialogue, to work together, and to celebrate.  As we anticipate the year together, encouragement from the book of Hebrews sets an excellent tone for us as NACE:  

Hebrews 10: 23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another...

Please pray for the work of many NACE committees that will begin this week in earnest.  There is much work to do, but we hold tightly to hope, we trust God to keep His promises.  How will we (you?) motivate one another to acts of love and good works?  

Take off your shoes...

In a course I took once, our instructor asked us to take off our shoes as we entered.  His assertion:  that if we entered into that course and into our education faithfully, we would be standing on Holy ground.  We would enter as one person, but emerge as someone new, touched and changed by God. That moment has never left me, and I still carry it as a reminder as I embark on learning or teaching each year.

The idea of Holy ground is carried well in both schools' themes this year.  "Anchored to God's Promises" at John Knox and "Rooted in Christ" at Covenant both emphasize that our very identity is in the Lord whom we serve.  As we rely on the anchor able to firmly secure us to the sea bed or the root system tightly entwined into the soil, we are given and have the freedom to hoist our sail and grow and explore, or to branch out, blossom and grow, both fulfilling our created purpose.

It's a new year!  As we enter this year of God's faithfulness, let's remind ourselves that we are indeed on Holy ground, and that we will each emerge in June as new creations... evidenced by God's handiwork in our lives here!  Are you ready for God to work?

Let your Light Shine!

Here we are!!! The last week of school this year! We began this year looking at how we need God - we need Him and His power to plug into in order to shine.  God has been faithful as always with his presence and power.  So many times we have been able to see His hand at work in our community, among students, staff, volunteers, parents, and supporters. We also knew we needed to meet his command to shine as children of light.  This was evident daily as God used us as His 'lightbulbs' in our work, in our interactions with others, and in our praise of Him.  As we move on from this year, we are thankful that we can continue to shine as children of light - that God's power goes with us no matter where we are! As we take a break from the regular routines, God can continue to shine through... whether at the campground, the cottage, at home, in professional development classes, or in special summer activities. 

We look forward to seeing you, the Lord willing, at the beginning of September! To God be the glory in our work, our rest, and in our play.

We Prayed for you today....

Not long ago, I received a message from our partners at the Ontario Alliance of Christian Schools that they had spent time as a staff that morning praying for us - for Covenant Christian School, and a number of things that they had specifically prayed for.  As a support group and part of a small community connected to many other communities, they spend time intentionally on and for us at the seat of the throne of our Lord, Saviour, and Creator.

This past weekend was one that was filled with activity that our membership were involved with and cared about.  Fundraising walks for Diabetes and Muscular Dystrophy, and the Ride to Conquer Cancer are just a few ways in which members of NACE involve themselves in communities outside of our own community. Prayers of support for the Bosma family out of Ancaster, and of course prayers for the people and communities surrounding Orlando who have been so devastatingly affected by the US's newest 'biggest' statistic of the largest mass shooting in its history.

Prayers are powerful.  So are words of support, encouragement.  As a small community, our impact spreads wide and deep.  It's how we serve with gladness, and share community.  Never underestimate the power of prayer, or the power of the words of encouragement that say "I prayed for you today....."

Psalm 107:28-30, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

A different perspective

I think this is the first, if not only, Covenant Connection that has been written from the rooftop.  A few weeks ago, I challenged our students to meet and surpass their past fundraising achievements for the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital Foundation - our local health care facility.  Quickly and quietly, they did just that, culminating in our annual 'Jerry's Peach Bud 10k' on Friday morning.  I challenged them to offer up to their families and neighbours the opportunity to support the sick in their community.

So, as a result of their diligence and work ($8300 and counting...), I am now sitting at the top of our school building... literally.  It's a beautiful day, and I'm enjoying basking in their fundraising results.  (The newspaper photographer is here documenting my 'perch').

A new position gives you a different perspective.  Often in the daily rush of activity, one can get stuck in seeing only the immediate.  Taking a bit of time out to see a more 'global' perspective lets you see your context better.  Looking out over the town of Smithville and across the Niagara region, I am wondering... "What would happen if Covenant Christian School disappeared tomorrow?  Would people notice?  Would there be an impact?"  As a leader, one certainly hopes so, but it also gives us pause to consider the 'serving' aspect of our tagline.  How else can we grow in our impact of showing Christ's love to our region?  In other words, how can we make sure that we are an integral part of our community and our region?

Our students are NOT the future of the church or leaders of tomorrow.... they ARE the church; they are leading already TODAY.  Taking hold of opportunities like fundraising for the Peach Bud Run and our local health care facility, and having students grow in character, learning, and service is one big way that Covenant is making a difference.

As we move forward to complete this academic year and lay plans for next year, we remind ourselves that if we plug in to God's power, it is then that we can shine as Children of Light.... here in our school, in our community, and beyond.

Field day Grit and Life Grit - Honouring God in HOW we do things.

It's the beginning of 'Field day' week. I have to admit that there's a huge sense of anticipation for me. I LOVE track and field. After coaching it for 15 years, it becomes a bit of a way of life, if not a bit of an obsession.  Not coaching it now is difficult for me. I find myself often wandering over to classes doing their running practice, to the gym during a high jump practice after school, or just to watch a class through the window as they prepare.

I wasn't a stellar athlete as a kid myself, so what was it that kept me coming back for more?  The challenge, the team atmosphere, and the encouragement to develop and improve.  Fast forward many years to now. I've heard of so many tough stories of kids who hate field day. For every kid with a ribbon, there are plenty more who don't have any, and that is difficult, especially for the sensitive, or driven/competitive child.  

Coming in to my second field day at Covenant, I am so grateful to the many people who have structured how we do field day. I LOVE the way we celebrate this event.  Cross-grade teams, cheers, support, standards instead of ribbons for achievement, not specific placement (1st, 2nd, 3rd). It paves the way for a great day where each student can and does contribute to a team's performance and experience.

In my experience as a student and as a coach, I have never seen a student athlete grow in their ability without a heap-load of encouragement. Growth in ability also mandates that they needed to pick themselves up time and time again after multiple failures.  Any of my athletes in the past who didn't know how to deal with failure were the ones who quickly abandoned the work because it was 'too hard'. We all know how important sticking to a commitment, pushing through tough times, and building resilience is in life.  Surrounding kids with the encouragement of a team when the tasks get difficult is one small way we have to remind them that sticking with it and giving their absolute best is valuable. Every point counts!!

Chris Horst writes about how he watches his son navigate his field day (unsuccessfully), but then uses that experience to continue to encourage grit. http://www.dadcraft.com/developing-grit/ Our kids will experience failure, they will be discouraged, and they will want to give up.  Like Chris, I pray that we will be able to find ways to help them develop character through it... to become determined, and not see the 'win' as the ultimate goal.  (read his story!)

John Bloom writes about how we find many examples of people in the Bible who developed grit as central to their service.   http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/true-grit  I'm sure you could develop an even longer list of your own!

As we enter field day week, encourage your children to work hard, play hard, encourage well, to honour God in their best efforts in their activities, and to demonstrate grit.  It's activities like these (and so many others at Covenant) that help them develop and learn to love the journey of growth that God continues to work out in each one of them daily.

Teachers

I want to share with you this morning the experience I have working with a group of  Christian Educators. Most of you are aware of the fact that each of them teaches classes, prepares lessons, works through assessment and evaluation of each student's progress, leads extra curricular activities, and commits themselves to ongoing professional development and excellent education at NACE.

What many of you don't see is the time that is spent behind the scenes in care of the children here. Outside of formal class time and time interacting with students is a great deal of collaboration that supports their craft. Specifically, our devotional time on Friday afternoons and on Monday mornings are times that not only root us in the gospel, but also spur on conversation about how we can serve our students better.

Last week Friday, following and during devotions, specific students were held up in prayer. One for the day she had just had that was difficult; another for struggles outside of school, others who are having issues getting along. The prayer time is important for each of these children, but so is the subsequent 'problem solving' time that occurs. It's amazing to encourage and witness a community of believers (a cloud of witnesses?) rally around a teacher's care and effort to reach a specific child or group of children. This staff is not only concerned about your son/daughter's academic achievement... they care deeply about their emotional, social, and spiritual well being!

Today, we began the day and week again in devotions, ready for a new week. It's raining out, and somewhat grey, but inside our staff room were voices raised, words of encouragement, and the stoking of a fire where the Spirit himself dwells in us and in our teaching, and in the regular care and concern for our kids!

May 2-6 is officially 'Teacher Appreciation Week'. While this may be another reason that stores give us to come in and purchase something, I would encourage you to find a way to share with your child(ren)'s teacher(s) our appreciation for the care and support they provide daily. An encouraging word goes a long way to bolster and fire up a group that is in the midst of 'winding up' the school year! 1 Thess 5:11 " So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing."

The celebration continues

We are breathing a sigh of relief around here after a busy, but WONDERFUL Christian Education Week.  What a blessing it was to share our school with so many visitors - pastors, grandparents, senior friends, and yes, parents!  It was not only a reminder of the treasure we have in this school, but to the very wide reach of support we enjoy.  

This week, we are paying special note to some of our partners in Christian Education.  This morning, we were encouraged by our literal neighbours at Smithville Christian High School as their principal, Ted Harris led our staff in devotions.  He shared words from 1 Corinthians 3: "It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow.  The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.  For we are both God's workers. And you are God's field. You are God's building."  There were even elegant words of poetry as he expounded on our unique relationship!

This week we will also be spending some time with our sister school John Knox Christian School in Stoney Creek who are celebrating Christian Education week. On Wednesday, we will travel down with grades 1-8 to view their drama production "Not your average Joe."

Knowing that we are not chasing a vision of Christian Education on our own, but do so alongside other schools is a treasure.  Please pray this week for the great work that goes on across our region, our province, our country, and our world in service of planting seeds, watering them, and proclaiming the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Christian Education Week

Here we are!  This week we at Covenant are on display!

This is always a special week as we invite the 'pillars' of our community to come through and spend some time with us.  Our gallery of art and student work has been set up through the building.  Our spring musical production is running through final rehearsals. Our pastors are coming to visit on Wednesday the 20th, and our long time and faithful supporters (grandparents and senior friends) will spend the morning on Friday with us.

Finally, our parent open house is scheduled for 2:00-3:00 on Friday afternoon (the 22nd).  You have likely come by to see your kids in action before, but this is a time where we fling open the doors and welcome you in to seeing a classroom in action.  While this week is not a typical week, and there is a lot of extra hustle and bustle, the things we are doing are routine:

Living for Jesus, Learning for Life, Serving with Gladness.... this is commonplace at Covenant, and we are deliberate about each of them.  The character of our students and teachers character and how we live is important.  We seek Jesus faithfully day after day in even our simple interactions.  You will see life... real life throughout our hallways.  Students engaged not just in learning about the real world, but engaging in it.  Service learning comes alive in our chapel activities, but also internally as we serve one another, and as we reach out to the world.

In our final work of the week, you will see how a Christian school interprets a common folk tale, and how God speaks through simple actions of even a bickering community..... because at the end of the day, that is what we are:  Not a perfect Christian school community, but one that struggles with its own brokenness.  God reminds us who we are, how to relate, and that we are loved... and that He longs for us to seek him and live in unity:  "May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me."  John 17:23b  Now that is living as children of light!

Come see us this week, as we plug in to God's power.

A Cloud of Witnesses, a Community of Support

We were treated this past Saturday to an evening of 'Upstanding Comedy' with Timmy Boyle who provided the entertainment for the annual board fundraiser.  The evening was capped off with some very humourous antics involving our fearless Executive Director.  If you were not there, you'll have to ask around, but it involved a duet, long hair, a headband, and some creative harmony.  The rest may be floating around on the Internet for your enjoyment.

The evening was not only fun, but a reminder of the amazing support we have for Christian education.  Long time supporters, new to NACE friends, family connections who traveled in for the event, staff from both school sites, and of course our board of directors all spent a few hours celebrating the gift of community over great food and laughter.

Not forgetting that this event is a fundraiser, it's exciting to report that we were able to raise over $18,000.  It's wonderful to experience the ongoing excitement for what Christian Education has done and is doing in the lives of our students and families.  A big thank you to the board and their support network (spouses, friends and family members) for pulling together an evening of celebration.  To God be the glory!

Though your sins are as scarlet

Though your sins are like scarlet....

I'm not going to lie.  The snowfall last night and this morning were not my favourite thing ever.  I actually like winter, but sometimes in this part of the world it seems to take a while to go away....

Last night I was out on the highway after a family visit driving home.  The snowbanks underneath had all melted, and the fresh blanket of snow covered everything.  There was no grass showing, there was no pavement showing... even the edges of the road were covered by the blanket of white.  It was dangerous driving so we took it slow, but the extent to which everything was now covered over and made white struck me. 

God's resurrection power over sin and death didn't only cover over my little area of sin.  It covered everything.  There are many stories in the Bible and otherwise of people who think they are 'too far gone' to be loved by God.  Over and over again, Christ reminds us that his grace is sufficient.  We need to be reminded of just how all encompassing God's redemption and grace is.  As good as the creation was when God spoke it into being, as deep as we are affected by sinful decision, so deep and far and wide is the love of God that it blankets and covers over everything.  Just as the new snow shows no evidence of anything underneath, so all encompassing is the power of the cross.

In our staff devotions this morning, Mrs. DeHaan shared the song "Glorious Day" by Casting Crowns.  As I pondered the snow cover, the lyrics of the Easter Sacrifice in that song wonderfully encompassed this truth we live with:
One day they led Him up Calvary's mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He
Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree
And took the nails for me...

Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He's coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day

Perhaps I'll continue to grumble about this late snowfall for the inconveniences it brings, but I will also give thanks for the picture of grace and purity with which it has blessed us!

Putting aside our differences

Over the next few weeks, students, volunteers, teachers, and a veritable community of people are pulling together our spring production of 'Stone Soup'.  Whenever an event like this comes together, it's a reminder once again that it takes many talents, many ideas, many gifts, and much patience to pull together something of such magnitude.  In a lot of ways, it is a micro-burst experience of what it is like to have a school society such as ours.

The story that unfolds in our spring production begins with three homeless soldiers looking for a meal, travelling with little to nothing to offer the village they stumble upon.  What they discover is a community steeped in rivalry, one where differences are so deeply rooted, they are passed along to the children, and lived out in frequent insults cast at one another....  (Thankfully, the playful antics of a dancing horse bring a bit of levity to the whole situation.)  As many of you know the story, the visitors rouse the curiosity of the children in the village by beginning to make 'stone soup'.  it just needs a little something else......  

As the story progresses, differences melt away in the preparation of a meal.  in the end.... well, in the end, you'll just have to come and see. "When you have friendly people and some good food to eat, you just naturally have...."

In an article written for the Christian Courier, Monica deRegt writes... "the story of Stone Soup is a refreshing perspective that sometimes all it takes is giving what I have, and allowing God to use the transforming power of community to turn it into something that will bless everyone. (1 Corinthians 12)" (Sept 28, 2015 issue, p 13)

I'm thankful this morning for a community of believers pulling together with what they have, allowing differences to melt away in the service of the nourishment that Christian Education provides for our children, and for our families!  Come join us on Friday, April 22 at 7:00 for our production of Stone Soup to celebrate the gifts with which God has blessed our student body!

Do not abandon yourselves to despair...

Do not abandon yourselves to despair....

A two week March Break is something very out of the ordinary for us, and it will be Easter Monday when we meet up again in a few weeks.  I thought a few words on the defining moment of Christendom might be fitting this week!

As I look back in time at the church, I'm both encouraged and discouraged.  Perhaps I'll start with the tough side.  Arguments, differences of opinion, heartache, and misunderstanding still seem to plague the church and body of Christ. The liberation that a direct relationship with our Lord and Saviour brings is coupled with the challenges that we won't always see things in the same way.  We will interpret scripture differently, and we will find items upon which we don't agree.  This is evidenced by the multitude of Christian church denominations all seeking to live faithfully.  This fragmentation can seem crippling at times.

Why am I encouraged in light of this?  I'm encouraged as I watch students grapple with issues of faith, and are able to end up in a position of respect for one another.  Even as early as 10 years of age, we see students arguing about the finer points of doctrine as they are learning at church.  The more we can teach them and model a position of community and respect for one another in our multi-denominational community as like-minded believers, the closer we approach the vision that Paul had for the church as he wrote to the Philippians (1:1-2):  "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind."  I see this daily in our small, increasingly diverse community of believers at CCS:  a common desire to love and serve Christ because He died for us, freeing us to live in God's amazing world and to serve Him....

As we approach Easter, I invite you to ponder the words of a past church leader:  "Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and Hallelujah! is our song."  Pray as families for continued understanding, respect, fellowship, and unity among followers of Christ, even in (and sometimes especially because of) our differences.  And sing where you worship, bringing back the richness of your denominational traditions, ready to safely explore our faith in community.

Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.  Hallelujah!

The right question...

"The morning is as usual, kids getting ready for school, breakfast is getting started when across the room comes sound of a cereal box pouring over the table and spilling on to the floor. Every fibre of my being wants to ask "Why did you do that?!" "How could this happen?!" "Why.....?!" BUT, my brain stops a second and goes back to our seminar the night before, and I remember that there's another question in my toolbox.... Instead of 'Why', I ask "What happened?" What was about to be a defensive quarrel, possibly littered with yelling and tears, became a moment where I listened. We had a simple conversation about how the bag was ripped, and an accident happened. Our daughter had a chance to explain the facts, and we cleaned up the mess together."
This story was told to me following our WITH... not AGAINST seminar. A very good question from a parent that evening asked 'What's the difference between asking 'Why did you do that?' and 'What happened?' On the surface, they are both addressing an incident. The first question, however assumes guilt and culpability. In essence, by asking 'Why did you do that?' we say 'You did something wrong, now explain yourself...' By asking 'What happened?', the conversation is now open to listening, empathy, perhaps dialogue, and instruction.

It's a amazing how such a simple small change in wording can transform a morning from chaos to calm, from defensive to cooperative.

Will this change everything? Of course not. We will still find ourselves at odds with one another, but beginning from a place where we open ourselves up to relationship rather than jumping to punishment. Our seminar introduced us to working away from punitive/blaming and permissive/excusing to restorative/ cooperating.

Want to know more? The content from both seminars is uploaded to our website at http://covenant.nace.ca/news-and-info.html . These will also help you to understand how we are striving to address relationships here at school as well.

Telling Stories, Seeking Justice

This week is an exciting one for our grade five class.  They have been studying the book "A Long Walk to Water", a true story based on Salva, a child who walked to Ethiopia, then Kenya, lived in refugee camps to escape the civil war and being forced into child soldiering; and on Nya, who lived 23 years later in the new region of South Sudan, walking all day to get a jug of water for her family. The two stories merge when Salva, a grown man, dedicates his life's work to drilling wells for the poor communities of his country and helps to dig a well in Nya's village.

Inspired by the story of Salva and Nya, they have set a goal of raising $400 within our own community for the effort to bring clean water to places that need it desperately.  The organization they have chosen to work with is Water for South Sudan (www.waterforsouthsudan.org).  As a class, they will host a bake sale on Wednesday, selling baked goods (so easily at our finger-tips) for $2 (extra donations accepted).  

Today, I was privileged to hear two of the grade 5 students read a speech they had prepared to educate and inspire others to participate in this bake sale.  It was evident that the story had been the vehicle through which they sensed a need for justice and access to basic human needs before anything else could happen (education, health care resources).

Times like these remind me of the richness of Christian Education.  An intermingling of literature, language arts (discussing, analyzing, writing, speaking), media arts (advertising, spreading the word, preparing print media, accessing online media) with themes that make our faithful response real and tangible; this marries excellent education with application, real issues, and real work for real people.

This class is truly plugging in and taking the opportunity to shine as children of light!!  May God be glorified in their work, and the people who benefit receive the clean water they so desperately need to thrive.

Growing connections professionally

Last Friday, our teachers were away in Hamilton for a day of professional development.  Together with educators from Drayton, Guelph, Kitchener, Dundas, Hamilton, Cambridge, St. Catharines, Dunnville, and Stoney Creek, we delved into four different educational topics.  The day was set up so that theory and stories were presented followed by teachers re-grouping and sharing what they were doing, challenges, and opportunities they had to grow.  "Theory really met practice" in this day of learning and sharing.

'Culture and Character' focused in on how we are building schools where Christ is centre, and how to develop a community of learning where each builds one another up.  'Beautiful Student Work' allowed us to explore how to raise standards for our students and give them opportunity to work toward better products that wouldn't be necessarily only for a teacher to mark and hand back.  'Mastery of Skills and Knowledge' gave us space to investigate the requisite 'things' that kids need to know as they move forward through school in each subject.  Finally, 'Deep Connection and the Holy Spirit' allowed us to share stories and experiences about how God is working in our classrooms, schools, and region.

As an increasing need in a quickly changing world, our teachers need to become more connected as colleagues to one another, and to support not only their own students and classrooms, but to rely on and support one another to further the project of Christian Education.

As you can see, that is being well met in our professional development. We are thankful for a community of passionate Christian Educators. To God be the glory!!

February: Relationships and Family

Relationships and Family

I turned the calendar to February this morning. Valentines day, Family Day, our seminar on Restorative practices.... it seems a theme is emerging.

Our social nature defines so much of who we are. We were created to be in relationship certainly with one another (it was not good for us to be alone), and with God as well. So much of our daily experience is shaped and formed by our interaction with others.  It follows, of course, that those interactions will inevitably be 'very good' and 'very broken' as we believe that God created a world He delighted in, and that sin permeates all parts of that creation as well.

February, in some ways, is a time when we call attention to the potential of the relationships we have with one another and the ways in which we can honour God through them. The very presence of a system of education in which we learn together in community is a humbling opportunity to model and form good relationships.   Bruce Schenk, director of IIRP Canada writes:

"We are called to a ministry of reconciliation. As Christian people, this is our call in all areas of our lives, starting with reconciliation to God through Christ's death on the cross (2 Cor. 5:18). Throughout scripture, the emphasis on the central role of forgiveness and reconciliation in our faith is akin to the core values and purpose of restorative practice. When hurtful behavior occurs, the restorative mantra of talking about what has happened, looking at who has been affected or harmed and how, and what is needed to make things right, is similar in the Christian context to acknowledging our sin, confession, honest contemplation and reflection on the impact of our actions, reconciliation, and healing."  (Full article here.) Relationships feed us and address a central part of who God has created us to be, but they also take work.

Consider joining us for a focus on relationships in parenting this February. Anne Martin of Shalem Mental Health Network will lead us on February 22nd to present "WITH, not AGAINST:  dealing with relationship strain or conflict in parenting."  Perhaps by attending, this is a gift you can give to your family as we seek to work for God's kingdom in all of our relationships.

Leadership and Character

Leadership and Character

This is an interesting time of year for a school. We are both planning for next year, as well as anticipating the end of the current year. While both seem far away, the office needs to work on both of these well in advance.

As I meet with families who are contemplating sending their children to Covenant, I often ask the question "If you think down the road 10 years to the point where your child will be graduating from elementary school, what are your hopes and dreams for them? What would you want to see in them and from the school that they attend?"  I love hearing the responses to this question as it probes deep into the reasons why we do what we do, and what is of deep importance to a parent as they think of their children.  Often  topics of character, relation to God and community, leadership, and competence all surface.

As I'm having these conversations, we are getting ready to send our grade 7 and 8 classes off to Pioneer camp for their annual leadership retreat. On this trip, they get to dig deeper into what it means to live together, to cooperate and work together, to who they are as an individual, and who God has made them to be. In a lot of ways, this trip and the rest of the year as we approach graduation probe into the very question I ask of parents when they first come to 'check us out'.

As I look at the beginning of an educational journey and at the end of one at the same time, it's a humbling, yet awesome overview of how God is at work at CCS in the lives of the students here.  He has crafted each of them unique and with specific gifts to contribute to His kingdom, and we get to be agents in uncovering and developing those.

Please pray a blessing on both of these groups - the parents and students visiting for the first time, and the parents and students of grade 7 and 8 students - that they may be keenly aware of God's care and craftsmanship in each of His children.

Thank you to our volunteers

Through the course of a school year, I get the wonderful opportunity to connect with volunteers of all kinds.  Some are current parents of students, some have children who attended Covenant, some just like us and want to give of their time.  It's an amazing and humbling experience that has changed my perspective on volunteering for a school.

In my own kids' last school, we were required to volunteer a minimum amount, and I have to admit feeling a little sense of negativity about the prospect.  We were busy, and had lots of other things to do.  We were heavily involved in our church, we had activities that our kids were in.... time was not freely available.....  but we proceeded to give of our time.

After sitting on the living room floor cutting items out for classroom projects, supervising playground activities, pulling on a pair of work boots and laying sod, helping with their building renovation, stepping in to the classroom to provide help, assisting with the annual fundraiser, we realized an amazing thing:  WE LOVED BEING INVOLVED IN OUR KIDS' EDUCATION.  It wasn't always glamorous, or even always noticed by others, but we gained a sense of what was happening at the school, we were connecting with others who wanted to help, and we were becoming a part of a supportive community.

As I ask volunteers why they do it, I rarely get the same answer.... "Because it's the right thing to do."  "Because I love working with these kids!"  "Because.... well, why wouldn't I?"  "Because I want to give back."  "Because I know you need this, and I love being needed."  "Because I get to work with great people."  "Because it's a lot of fun!"  "Because I know I am involved in what my kids are learning.... you can't get that in so many other places!"  "Because it's kingdom work."     These are just a few of the many reasons that people volunteer here.

Rest assured that we LOVE our volunteers and could not operate effectively without them, regardless of why they do what they do.  Rest assured also, that we always have a need for more.  

How can you become a part of Covenant's story?  Can you find a way to give of your time and talent to bless this community? You may even come out feeling great about it too!

The year of the/our Lord

Here we are - AD 2016.  Our Gregorian calendar is based on counting the years from Christ's birth, and hence the 'AD', which stands for anno Domini, Latin for 'the year of the Lord', or often translated as 'the year of our Lord'.

I had to read those two phrases over a number of times before I caught the difference, but it reminded me of a very fundamental understanding of a Christian worldview:  Christ is THE lord of all, then He can be MY lord of all.  We believe that Christ was and is God and was there with God before creation.  Regardless of whether we accept him as our Lord of all, he does not cease to be the Lord of all.  This is a comforting reality:  Christ does not rely on us for His sovereignty. He is Lord of this year, 2016.  We can accept Him as our Lord of 2016.  

As we look ahead to this year, we will seek ways to continue to proclaim that Christ is Lord of all.  In a world that continues to desperately need to hear the message of grace and forgiveness, of promise and redemption, of peace and hope, this is good news, indeed!!

Happy 2016 to everyone in and around Covenant and NACE.  Plug in to His power, and live as Children of light this year!!!