PILGRIM Journey The Lansing Christian School Board of Trustees Gillian Granger ‘88, Chair Rod Moore, Secretary Brad Banasik Stephanie Buchalski Dave Greydanus Laura Moody Scott Wagoner Rina Woodland ‘85 Lori Wortz Winter 2014 Leadership ... giving students opportunities to explore their passions and gifts, and to practice what they are good at. LEADERSHIP Growing and Using our God-Given Gifts By Wendy Hofman, Head of School Leadership is something we hear about a lot. We hear about the importance of leadership in business, politics, church, sports and in school. Leadership is important, and is necessary for people to achieve, students to learn, and organizations to advance. But what is leadership? What does leadership mean for students at school? At the most fundamental level, leadership begins with growing and enabling our gifts — what we are good at and what we are passionate about — at any age. At school this means giving students opportunities to explore their passions and gifts, and to practice what they are good at. The next level of leadership involves using our gifts to serve others and to serve needs in our community and in our world. Leaders don’t just take charge; they use their gifts and talents to serve people and serve real needs. They use their leadership ability to bring others along with them. Cultivating student leader- ship is important. At Lansing Christian, we believe God has given each and every one of our PreK-12 students unique gifts and abilities that He intends to use for a divine purpose in this world and for His kingdom. Giving our stu- dents an opportunity to practice using and growing their gifts is important. Giving our students an opportunity to practice using their gifts to meet real needs has life-long value. I invite you to read about some of the ways we are working to cultivate leader- ship in our elementary, middle and high school students here at LCS. Photo by Tom Gennara Photo by Tom Gennara
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PILGRIM Journey
The Lansing Christian School
Board of Trustees
Gillian Granger ‘88, Chair
Rod Moore, Secretary
Brad Banasik
Stephanie Buchalski
Dave Greydanus
Laura Moody
Scott Wagoner
Rina Woodland ‘85
Lori Wortz
Winter 2014
Leadership ...
giving students
opportunities to
explore their
passions and
gifts, and to
practice what
they are good at.
LEADERSHIP Growing and Using our God-Given Gifts By Wendy Hofman, Head of School
Leadership is something we hear about a lot. We hear about the importance
of leadership in business, politics, church, sports and in school. Leadership is
important, and is necessary for people to achieve, students to learn, and
organizations to advance. But what is leadership? What does leadership mean
for students at school?
At the most fundamental level, leadership begins with growing and enabling our
gifts — what we are good at and what we are passionate about — at any age.
At school this means giving students opportunities to explore their passions and
gifts, and to practice what they are good at.
The next level of leadership involves using our gifts to serve others and to serve
needs in our community and in our world. Leaders don’t just take charge; they
use their gifts and talents to serve people and serve real needs. They use their
leadership ability to bring others along with them.
Cultivating student leader-
ship is important. At Lansing
Christian, we believe God
has given each and every
one of our PreK-12 students
unique gifts and abilities that
He intends to use for a divine
purpose in this world and for
His kingdom. Giving our stu-
dents an opportunity to
practice using and growing
their gifts is important. Giving
our students an opportunity
to practice using their gifts to meet real needs has life-long value.
I invite you to read about some of the ways we are working to cultivate leader-
ship in our elementary, middle and high school students here at LCS.
Photo by Tom Gennara
Photo by Tom Gennara
2- PILGRIM Journey
Classroom Learning Relevant Learning for the 21st Century
Learning to Think Like a Scientist By Sheila Dykstra, Elementary Principal
and Kelly Joos, High School Science Teacher
Exploring Science
What does it take to be a scientist? Asking
questions, exploring problems, conducting
experiments, and observing and recording
results are skills that scientists use in their work.
Our elementary students use these skills every
day in our new science curriculum.
This hands on, inquiry-based program presents
students with a problem, which they must solve
through experimentation and application of
the knowledge gained throughout the unit.
This method of learning promotes problem
solving and critical thinking skills. It also
encourages students to transfer the concepts
they learn to other questions or problems. As
students work, they record their hypothesis,
observations and results in their science
journals.
Studying God’s Creation
The AP biology course is one of the college-
level courses that Lansing Christian offers which
provides an opportunity for high school
students to focus on a specific interest area.
Students with an interest in science conduct an
in-depth study of God’s creation focusing on
four Big Ideas set forth by the College Board:
evolution, energy dynamics, information
transfer and interactions from the molecular to
the ecological levels. Students learn to think
like a scientist – learning to pose questions and
determine the variables to investigate.
Students learn to design their own experiments,
conduct laboratory investigations and
activities, and determine how to present
conclusions.
Learning to think and act as a scientist will help our students become future
leaders in scientific fields.
Biology Students
Raise Funds for
Wells and Nets
The three sophomore
Biology classes learned
about the diseases
caused by mosquitos and
unclean water around
the world as part of their
Protist and Fungus
unit. They raised a total
of $5,734.56 which they
donated to World
Vision to fund a hand-
drilled well, and mosqui-
to bed nets for two entire
villages. We are proud of
their efforts to be the
hands and feet of Christ
to needy families around
the world.
3 - PILGRIM Journey
Relevant Learning for the 21st Century
3 - PILGRIM Journey
Google Field Trip — Inspiring Excellence
By Elissa McAlvey ‘07, 5th Grade Teacher
A group of LCS high school students — selected based on an essay describing what makes
them “Googley”, such as benefiting mankind, unique, and interesting, etc. — visited Google
in Ann Arbor.
The Google trip gave students a glimpse into a competitive organization, world-renowned for
its entrepreneurial approach to business, marketing, and philanthropy. I wanted to inspire
students to aim high and show them a company with high standards as an example.
Students heard from two “Googlers” who worked in separate sectors of the company. Then,
we Google Hungout (like Skype) with my brother, Patrick McAlvey ‘03, who works in the NYC
office. He talked to the students about what Google looks for in employees, such as self-
confidence, communication skills, a high GPA, leadership abilities, and “Googliness”. They
look for motivated, unique individuals rather than a specific degree.
The visit ended with a tour of the offices, massage rooms and chairs, treadmill work
stations, Michigan city-themed conference rooms, mini-kitchens, a cafeteria, and plenty of
engaging employees.
By Andrew Kleyn, High School English Teacher
Communication and Culture is a high school course in which students study the elements and techniques of
communication and the prevailing worldviews in western culture as presented through the media. The ultimate goal is to
build the students’ communication skills and to help them critique culture from a Christian perspective. The course
examines a variety of media (e.g., television, magazines, and video games). The purpose of including these materials is
not to promote ignorant immersion into immoral media, but rather to empower students to recognize, critique, and
combat the anti-Christian worldviews that surround and assail them every day.
The students will wrestle with major worldview questions about money, beauty, and violence with questions like,
“What should motivate me? What is beautiful? What does it mean to be masculine?” Popular media continually provides
teenagers with answers to these questions. It is time we examine those answers.
At the conclusion of the course, Communication and Culture students are equipped with communication skills to speak
both publicly and conversationally. They have also taken time to discover what the Bible says about important issues of
consumerism, masculinity, and femininity. Lastly, they are challenged to be leaders as “salt and light” in a culture that
definitely needs Christ’s reforming power.
Students tried the
Google Glass — an
eyeball sized computer
that only the glass
wearer can see. It is
navigated by tapping
the side of the glasses.
COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE
4 - PILGRIM Journey
Classroom Learning Relevant Learning for the 21st Century
Student Statesmanship Institute
LCS seniors participated in a unique two-day leadership
training in November, the Student Statesmanship
Institute (SSI), Michigan's premiere leadership and
biblical worldview training program. SSI Onsite is a very
dynamic hands-on legislative experience that provides
students the opportunity to quickly learn to analyze
data, practice critical thinking and develop team
approaches while benefiting from a solid biblical
worldview curriculum and instruction in debate and
communications.
Through SSI, students develop practical skills of
leadership, teamwork, critical and strategic thinking,
debate and communication, and speech writing. They
gain a greater understanding of their role as a Christian
in society as they learn to distinguish between secular
and biblical approaches to life.
It is with gratitude and a sense of
responsibility that our middle
school students each received
their own school issued iPad Air,
giving them the opportunity to
learn in new ways, with new
technology tools.
Middle School students
were the teachers at the
Middle School Tech Expo
as they demonstrated the
variety of educational
tools and applications
that they use on
their iPads.
The LCS Student Statesmanship Institute culminated
with the final session held at the State Capitol in the
Michigan House Chambers.
Middle School
Tech Expo
5- PILGRIM Journey
Student Life
LCS Student Ambassadors
By Patti Jacobson, Admissions Director
A Student Ambassador is a
high school student who
represents LCS at the
highest level, communi-
cating to new and
prospective students and
families the mission and
values of LCS. The Lansing
Christian School Student
Ambassador Program was
launched in the Spring of
2013 and consists of 35
students. The mission of Lansing Christian School is to provide student life
opportunities to enable students to develop their God-given abilities as well as
prepare them for life beyond high school.
One of the best ways to make new students feel connected and belong to our
school is through the kindness and practical help from our own students!
Students are challenged to become more like Christ as they reach
out to new students and begin to serve others. The ambassadors
promote a strong sense of community by showing respect for their
teachers, classmates and school.
These representatives create a welcoming atmosphere for visitors
and provide an introduction to the school. Students experience
how to focus on others and in this capacity are role models to
other students.
The ambassadors play a very important role and contribute to the
successful enrollment of new students. Their roles and
responsibilities include hosting prospective student
shadow days, attending admissions events, and
helping to engage and connect new students.
Shadow Days provide a prospective student an
opportunity to “sample” LCS for a day. The success of
this experience can be a determining factor in the
decision-making process of whether to enroll or not.
Campus visits by prospective students and their
families play a significant role in the decision-making
process in regards to taking the next step and
enrolling. It makes a dramatic impact on families when
they are greeted by friendly, courteous students.
Photos by Tom Gennara
6 - PILGRIM Journey
Classroom Learning Serving Others
7th Grade Bible Students Serve in the School
Clarissa Karr's 7th Grade Bible class put their
energies to use serving our elementary students in a
variety of ways. This helped them see you don't have