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.