CCS Plugged in June 2012 isssue CCS Plugged in….Journeying Together This issue of CCS Plugged In has been a challenge to put together. It has been a very busy time for all those involved and yet the desire to communicate and reconnect with students, parents, alumni and all those interested in what CCS is all about, motivated us to complete the task, with the Lord’s help and guidance. The theme of Journeying with God reflects the fact that all of us are on a journey and for those reading, you have connected with CCS at some point during your own journey in life and we pray that this connection has been meaningful and has blessed you. We continue to pray that you have been prepared for service in God’s world and we are impressed with the places that many of you have been able to travel in your own journeys. Alumni have travelled all over this world, from Cambodia to Afghanistan, with some staying and working right here at CCS in Terrace, BC. May God bless you in your pilgrimage, sustaining you with Springs of water from the fountain of life! We hope to put out this newsletter twice a year and if you know of others that would like to receive a copy either digitally or in print form, please contact the school. (250 635‐6173) Psalm 84 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; The autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. This newsletter can be accessed at our website at www.centennialchristian.ca Please inform the school if you wish to taken off the mailing list. You can contact the school at 250 635‐6173. Or write to 3608 Sparks St. Terrace, BC V8G 2V6 Or email; [email protected] ================================================================================================== Principal’s Ponderings by: Edgar Veldman GOD’s Hand at Work! “The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.” Psalm 37 Well, I can tell you that I have done a fair bit of stumbling this year during my first year as interim principal, however It became clear to me during the process that Centennial is not my school nor is it your school – It is God’s school. He upholds us. He worked within the hearts, minds, and lives of families over 45 years ago......... families with the vision for a Christ centered education for their children and grand children and generations thereafter in Terrace. These families who started Centennial Christian School back in the 60’s were convicted with the need for their children to be taught from a Christian perspective. They started small, sacrificed greatly, and worked as the body of Christ for God’s school. Centennial is a rewarding place to work and teach. Students at Centennial are part of community that upholds the Lordship of Christ in all things. Our smaller class sizes allow us to develop strong student/teacher relationships and provides unique opportunities at hands on learning outside of the traditional classroom setting. This year our high school students have taken learning on the road to Alaska, Ottawa, Edmonton, Kelowna, Langley, Abbotsford, and right in town the REM Lee theatre and in September our grade 11 and 12’s will go to the Haida Gwaii to study First Nations culture. Our elementary student’s journey to Fort St. James, Prince Rupert, Hazelton, Kitimat, learning about communities in our area. We look for opportunities to be salt and light in the community through our service projects such as the Food bank Famine, Food for Friends project, and Jump Rope For Heart. We are truly blessed and feel called then to be a blessing to those around us. We do have a great community at Centennial Christian School. We are faced with challenges right now; however; I would encourage everyone to remember the words of Psalm 37......... remember the work and conviction that a number of families had in the 1960’s. Centennial Christian is a great school not because of the students or the staff but because of the work of God’s hand. EYE ON ALUMNI:‐ Jessica Ewald Centennial’s Alumni are around the world, and it’s fascinating to catch up with them – seeing where they have ended up, what has changed and what remains constant. The Ewald family has been living and working in the Ukraine for last three years. Jessica graduated this year and I had an opportunity to ask her a few questions about her experiences. "What brought you and your family to Kiev?" My parents, ever since before they were even married, had always wanted to try living abroad for a period of time, just simply for the experience. As they began to raise us kids, they decided that it was still something that they wanted to do and so they timed a year abroad when Levi, the youngest, was old enough to actually get something out of it, and when I, the oldest, was still in high school. We ended up choosing Ukraine based on the size of the school, Ukraine's proximity to the rest of Europe (for traveling opportunities), and the available teaching positions. "What have you learned from this experience?" I have honestly learned so much it’s hard for me to even know where to begin. My life in Kiev is opposite in so, so many ways from my life in Terrace. Besides simply adjusting to a different language, alphabet, and completely foreign way of life, so many other areas of my life have also been touched. My awareness of how your culture shapes your life and how different cultures interact has been shaped primarily by the international school I attend. My home in a Ukrainian village where many houses do not have running water and people generally do not leave has taught me to value opportunity. Going to a secular school with the children of elitist Ukrainians has tested, stretched, and expanded my faith in God and understanding of his world. Finally, the academic rigor of the courses that I have been taking the last two years have shown me the extent to which you can improve yourself if you throw yourself fully into something. "What are some of the highs and lows of your journey?" The highs are pretty easy. Before I left for Ukraine I had been in three countries: Canada, USA, and Mexico. Now, with all of our road trips and school trips I've been to around 30, so traveling has definitely been one of them. Others include all of the interesting and amazing people I've met, both in Ukraine and on these trips, and regular service trips I've been involved in to Eastern Ukraine. The lows include two things. The first was worst at the beginning, and that was adjusting to life abroad. That includes dealing with a government and police system that seems to be against the people rather than helping them, to simply missing peanut butter. The second is saying goodbye. With all the movement typical to an international school, each year I've had to say goodbye to many wonderful people, knowing that I'll probably never see them again. "How has CCS prepared you for your experience in Ukraine?" CCS did do a lot for teaching me to pursue a wide range of non‐academic interests, which is one of the things that is vital for a Harvard application. Also, a lot of the teachers and other students taught me how to put Christ at the centre of my life in a way that makes me even more free to pursue life to its fullest (unlike a lot of the Christian missionary's kids here who seem to just turtle out of fear that they will do something 'ungodly'). Yes, you read that last paragraph correctly. Jessica is headed to Harvard University in September. We wish the Lord’s blessing on Jessica as she seeks God’s will wherever she may go! Walking the Hallways of CCS A visit to Centennial Christian School is not always possible for those that live far away and yet being able to see the work that is displayed in the hallways and bulletin boards throughout the school can remind us of how glorifying and honoring God is an integral part of the education here at CCS. The bulletin boards depicted here are a few examples of what can be found in late June on the walls in this place. More bulletin board pictures can be found when you check out the online version. The K/1 class begins their journey of education exploring their gifts and declaring how they are able to serve God in their choice of career during a study of community workers. Examples of their work can be found in this newsletter and on the walls at school. We see how the Bible verse declaring that we are a new creation accompanies some beautiful butterflies and are reminded that Jesus is able to recreate us as we are born again in him, just as butterflies undergo a wonderful metamorphosis. God created all things with order and purpose and often the details we learn about plants, animals, the body and many more things can serve as examples for biblical truths as well. A Math bulletin board reminds us of God’s perfect order and dependability. A bulletin board in the Grade 6/7 classroom includes individual prayer requests as well as the answers that have occurred over the course of the school year. What a blessing! We praise God for his good gifts and hope you enjoy a few examples that we found in our journey through the hallways at CCS. LAUNDRY clean clothes work so hard hurts your knuckles bruking Maria Ringma Gr. 6 As many of you know, the Ringma family has spent the last 5 months in Sierra Leone, experiencing a very different culture as they work with the church and school there. Ella Ringma has had an opportunity to lead a workshop on reading as part of her volunteer work in the school there and Joel has been partnering with the ministers in the area, learning from them and teaching them as well. Maria, Jacob and Naomi have been attending the school, and experiencing a totally different lifestyle which they have shared with their classes at CCS through letters and the internet. They will soon return home after an incredible journey to the other side of the world. If you would like to see more pictures and find out more about their time there, check out their blog at ringmas.blogspot.com. MANGO A Nice Good treat On a hot sweaty day Naomi Ringma Grade 12 Worldviews: Each student is asked to wrestle with issues of what they believe and why in their Christian Perspectives course. This leads to a lot of soul searching and for some a beginning of taking ownership of their faith. With permission, here are a few excerpts of what they have written during this process. “What is a world view? A world view is how we see the world. It is what we think is right and wrong, good and bad. It is made up of presuppositions of how we see everything. Everybody has a world view, and they are all different. You might already have figured out what you believe, or you are just still trying to figure it out, or you just don’t know yet. Everybody is different……We are all different, but all the same as well. We are all made in the image of God….We are all the same, so if a person is prejudiced or racist against another person, in a way, they are doing that to themselves.” Grade 12 Grad ”I try to see everything from all sides, from all angles to get the full, big picture. I can’t have the big picture if I can’t see the details when I look a little closer. Sometimes this becomes confusing, because I have to rediscover what I really think. I can get a little lost among everything, so I’m trying to learn how to keep a strong hold on what I believe but also give it room to alter when I learn about other views” Grade 12 Grad “Another factor that has shaped how I see the world is that my parents have read to me from a young age. I have become an avid reader and this has really helped me grow in my knowledge of the world and has expanded my lexicon extensively. I have a large, if not very deep, knowledge base on many issues and I know a lot of random facts as well. Reading has taught, and teaches me about many things that I would not have known about without books. It has really helped me become more aware of my surroundings and how blessed I am to have grown up in the family, town, country, that I did. ….. There are many things wrong in this world. The cause of it all is sin. God gave us free will; he did not want to force us to love Him. He wanted us to choose Him because we love Him of our own choice. Nobody wants to be loved by force.” Grade 12 Grad “A World view can change. Perspectives change so world views can be altered. I am still uncertain about where I stand in some areas but isn’t that why we live? We learn through experiences and solve our own equations. I know who I am and I know where God and I stand……The perspective of Christ shall be one that I will never forget, one that will not change. This is ultimately where my world view stems from.” Grade 12 Grad “I refuse to have religion shoved down my throat. I wanted and still want to discover it for myself. Only then can I know exactly what it is that I believe and know that it is truly I who believes it by my own free choice. I struggled with this concept for a very long time and it is only recently that I have begun to discover faith in myself.” Grade 12 Grad Grade 12 Graduating Students Matthew Buxton, Leareza Robinson, Brixton Sandhals, Jacob Mantel, Tyler Struyk, John Duncan, Maggie Haley, Amadeus Derrick, Monika Behnke, Miranda Tuininga, Sara Nutma, Karyn Roseboom, Krizia McDonough, Aimee Pelletier, Dorian George, Dorothy Jedrzejczyk My baby girl has graduated! By: Jaques Pelletier Only parents who have gone through this before will understand the significance of that statement. It is packed full of emotion including, but not limited to, pride, joy and anxiety. Grade 12 graduation is a momentous occasion. And on like occasions a meander through photos of years gone by seems natural. Those photos document a story and testify to how time does not stand still. Be very careful, then, how you live —not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity ... (Eph 5:15,16 NIV) Those photos also have been a great reminder of the many years of blessing experienced during our family’s involvement in the community of Centennial Christian School. It is true that my two daughters received a very rich and rewarding Christian education. It is also true that we have experienced many blessings by being part of the Centennial community. For me, that connection really started when my oldest was in Kindergarten. There was a day, imprinted in my memory, when my wife needed me to fulfill her commitment to volunteer in the classroom. My baby girl was sick, needing Mom’s attention, and so I agreed to spend an afternoon in Kindergarten (I’m not sure if Jana gave me a choice, actually). How difficult could it be, I thought ‐ I read primary books, I can even use scissors and Kaleigh would think that my presence was pretty special. Unfortunately, for me, Mrs. Petras had organized a cooking project for the parent volunteer. We were to make Brown Bear cookies and it was important for the students to be involved and learn the difference between 1 cup of flour and ½ cup of brown sugar; the difference between a tablespoon and a teaspoon. “Are you going to be okay with this?” Mrs. Petras asked. “Sure, no problem” I replied with much trepidation. I survived the flour, sugar, butter, eggs, milk and a thousand six‐year‐old fingers. The students probably don’t remember this little event, but I’ll never forget; especially Kaleigh’s proud, happy little face. And the cookies turned out pretty good. Fast forward to Kaleigh’s grad class trip and we were not making cookies any more (devouring them, maybe). Driving the bus and participating in making memories was a huge blessing (bungee jumping anyone?). Even in Aimee’s recent grad class trip to Alaska and Whitehorse, there were a few brave souls who were up to the challenge of a quick morning dip in the very small ice‐free section of the ice‐covered Eddontenajon Lake by Iskut. (Tyler, Sara, and Jacob may have another word for “brave”). There is something special in building relationships over the years with these students who have become amazingly mature and responsible representatives of Centennial. It is a blessing to watch them live out and express their God‐given passions and interests. There are many ways to be involved in your children’s education (and if you prefer, you can skip the bungee jumping and polar bear dips). You will never regret taking the time to participate with them whether it is helping out at the Hart Farm campout, hiking and camping in the Watson Lakes, or experiencing the culture and the beauty of Haida Gwaii. In contemplating the list of trips that I was able to participate in, I was reminded of the many other trips and school events that my children enjoyed. The education at Centennial occurs just as much outside of the classroom as inside the classroom. The community experience also includes many activities to help fund these trips and the whole education experience at Centennial. Bottle drives, auctions, bazaar, pie‐making, product sales are but a few of the activities that involve parents and students during a school year. Through these and other community building events, we get to know each other. It never ceases to amaze me how much you can learn about a person when completing an everyday task such as washing dishes after an event. The satisfaction of participating with others, while serving others, is more than rewarding. The Centennial community is built upon and continues to grow by parent volunteer dedication and effort. Get involved, you WILL be blessed! Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Cor. 15:58 NIV) Centennial Christian School Offers Pre‐School. A whole lot of learning through play! This is what you would see if you walked into the preschool classroom any morning of the week. You may see children enjoying and creating with glue, scissors and paper, or other children actively engaged in the block area, or another group of children in the house center interacting with each other. It is through play that the preschoolers learn how to solve problems and work cooperatively with others. Never underestimate the power of play! Centennial Preschool runs a
three mornings a week
class and a two mornings a
week class. If you or someone you know might be interested in enrolling a 3 or 4 year old child
please call the school or come by and check it out. Applied Skills Class The Grade 8/9 class takes a class called Applied skills with Mr. Block and some very capable helpers. They have an opportunity to cook, sew, and bike! For some this is a new skill and for others it’s a chance to display their prowess! To the right is a picture of one of the small quilts created by Chris Cooper. More Art from the Hallways at CCS below Some Career Choices from the Kindegarten/Grade 1 class. Fire Fighter Rock Star Electrician Marine Biologist