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THE GRAPEVINE Volume 33 Issue 2

The Grapevine Bulkley Valley

Christian School 3575 14th Avenue

PO Box 3635

Smithers BC V0J 2N0

Email: [email protected]

P: 250-847-4238

F: 250-847-3564

DECEMBER 2017

To all parents, grandparents, students and supporters of our Bulkley Valley Christian School I would like to extend a joyous Christmas greeting to you all on behalf of the Board, Administration and various Committees. What an incredible gift Jesus has given us in his birth, death and resurrection. The promise of salvation that was made already way back in Genesis is now complete, and in addition to this we are now called to share the love he gave to us with so many others. I would like to reflect on this a moment by examining the following passage through the eyes of two events that have happened lately in our school community.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Almost two years ago we (the Vandenberg family) lost our mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She passed away on December 22nd from heart failure. The last church service that she was able to attend was centered on a sermon that was preached on this passage from Hebrews. It was such an incredible inspiration to her to help go through the next days and weeks, to know that she was surrounded by so many people here but also those who had gone on to heaven before. She is missed by so many here but now is one of those offering that encouragement from above.

The second event happened during a special fundraising dinner that the Admissions and Promotion Committee as well as many volunteers put on commemorating the 20 years we have been blessed to be in the addition built in 1997. Outside of the multipurpose room is a display board with pictures of the construction and the opening evening of the new wing. There was a picture of four older ladies who were tremendous supporters of our school who have all since passed on. They too are now shouting their encouragement from heaven to keep on going, to keep raising and educating our children in the worship and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

So to all of us who have been given the “torch” to carry on the light of Christian education to our children. We as a body can bring that amazing gospel message to this world around us and share the love that Jesus shared so many, many years ago.

Blessed Christmas!

From the Chairman By Warren Vandenberg

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Sierra Leone School Partnership Dennis De Groot (previous principal of Surrey Christian School) met with the Board to share about Sierra Leone, and to give some welcome advice as we move forward with this partnership.

International Student Program The Board has given Tom Grasmeyer the go ahead to invite a three-year contract from Choice Edu. Choice Edu is an organization that places Chinese international students into independent schools in BC. This would be a home-stay arrangement, with the students

coming here to complete a dogwood diploma. The potential benefits to our school would include a diversified student experience, increased revenue stream and the opportunity for evangelism.

Vice-Chair of School Board Trever Morris has agreed to be the new Vice-Chair. He will chair

the meeting if Warren is ever gone, or has to step out due to a conflict of interest. Thank you Trever! Next Meeting: Tuesday, December 12 2017

Social Studies 10 interest, effort and participation in the re-trial of Louis Riel was awesome.

Two thumbs up to grade 6/7 on completing their Passion Hour projects. There was some amazing stuff.

These grade 2 students have gone beyond simply writing the required daily journal entries to writing continuing stores they call “chapter books”: Aspen Page, Jocelyn Lillies, Abby Horner, and Emma Hols.

Josh Onderwater created a roller coaster in Minecraft writing 85 lines of code!

Hats off to Rocky M., Ethan G, Mira H., David L, Ethan W, Anthony D., Paul J., Birch P., Matthew G., Kamiah N., Lanai L., Michelle V., Mila W, Ainslee O., Jaime B. and Ava W. for going above and beyond by participating in small ensembles for the Christmas program.

Madison Zacharias is just awesome. She has been cheerfully doing work experience in the library, shelving books twice a week.

Jordan Monn, Nathan Steenhof, Saymon Loki,

Jason Shan and Logan Verbeek singing in assembly with their buddies. What a blessing to hear their deep voices blending with the little guys singing away. It was beautiful.

Carter Harris for his wonderful attitude in school; he is thankful, cheerful, and has a smile on his face most of the time!

Grade 10-12 Life of Pi unit students who completed awesome projects on display in our front lobby.

All students actively participated in the SA Christmas kettle today by singing or playing an instrument. They did an awesome job.

Highlights from the November Board Meeting by Jamie deJong

That’s Just Awesome

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We are excited to launch our highly anticipated school app! The “MyBVCS” app will keep students, parents, and staff connected, engaged, and on track for success. The app not only has all

the features of the easy to lose paper planners, but also contains school news, calendars, class update and other school information. It can even

remind of homework that students enter themselves, and notify of important events such as school closures, and from the teams and groups that you subscribe to.

The app works wherever you go - on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android phones & tablets, and on any computer's web browser (except for Internet Explorer). You can even choose between push notifications, text messages, and email for your most important updates.

Get started with the “MyBVCS” App! Either: • Search for “MyBVCS” in the

App Store/Google Play. • visit http://bvcs.appazur.com

and tap the button. The install code is 12345. Learn more at: http://bvcs.appazur.com/help/flyer.

Calendar of Events Dec 21 – Winter Concert

Dec 23 - Jan 7 – Christmas Break. See you on Jan 8.

Jan 24 – Kindergarten

Information Evening

Jan 25 – Semester end

concert

Feb 1 – Ski Day (Gr 6-12)

Feb 7 – Winter Banquet (10-2)

Feb 7 – Kindergarten and

Preschool Registration Day

Feb 8 & 9 – PD Day (no

classes)

Feb 12 – Family Day (no classes)

Photo DVD

Student Photo DVDs are available in the office for $10 (per family).

Winter Concert Please come out and join our music students at the Winter Concert on Thursday, December 21, at 7:00 p.m. at the Smithers Christian Reformed Church. Everyone is welcome.

Date Changes Please note the extra Professional Development Day on February 8. Also, the Winter Banquet has been moved to Wednesday, February 7 because of the extra PD Day and Ski Day (Gr 6-12) has been moved to Thursday, February 1.

MyBVCS Mobile App by Tom Grasmeyer

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Passion Hour by Klaas Kort

Have you ever wondered how to

make an ax? How to get a piano

up Hudson Bay Mountain? How

about how to do the same soccer

tricks as Lionel Messi? I know

there are students in my class

who could tell you all about it.

Here is why.

Last year I attended a workshop

at the CEBC convention about

Passion Hour, also known as

Genius Hour. The workshop

leader led us through a process

that allowed students to do an

independent study of anything

about which they were

passionate. This year I decided to

give it a try in my class. The

results were amazing.

So how does it work? We first

went through a process of several

lessons exploring what we were

interested in and how we could

develop that into a project. One of

the main items was learning to

develop a good research

question. Students made a list of

topics which were then narrowed

down to one. These topics were

posted on the walls in the

classroom and each student was

given a block of sticky notes.

Then they went around the

classroom, checking out the

topics chosen by their classmates,

writing questions on their sticky

notes and attaching theme to the

other students’ topics. After this,

each student would consider the

questions and then begin to write

a proposal as to how they would

proceed. The proposal was then

submitted - in official letter form -

and I responded, again in official

letter form, giving approval to the

project.

The next step was planning the

research by filling in a timeline. I

had dedicated every Thursday

afternoon to work on this project,

and students needed to be

focused in order to be successful.

For the next few weeks they

worked at their research. Some

were online, others outside, or in

the hallways. One student went

off to find an expert to help him

with his project. This class soon

became the week’s favorite.

At the end of the research time

each student had to present their

topic. As I am writing this we are

looking forward to the last session

which includes learning about

motorbikes, how NBA players

become so good at what they do,

and how to build a working model

of a car. Was it worth it? If I only

judged the project by the students’

enthusiasm, then it was definitely

worth the effort. However, this

project also satisfied numerous

expectations of the new BC

curriculum, including several of

the core competencies, like

creative and critical thinking as

well as communication. Were

there problems? As in any type of

assignment, there were students

who struggled. Some wasted too

much time and had to scramble in

the end, and technology issues

made it difficult for others. In the

end however, when I asked if they

wanted to do it again, after

Christmas, I got an overwhelming

yes.

This has also been a great

learning experience for me. As I

am planning for the next session I

am thinking of ways to mix it up a

bit, and of ways to avoid some of

the pitfalls of the first session. The

greatest satisfaction for me as a

teacher was to see the kids

engaged in their learning, with me

only being the guide on the side.

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What a blessing it is to be part of the Christian community here in Smithers. My wife of 15 years, Heidi, our three children, Josh, Abigail, and Madison and I arrived in Smithers at the end of July and it has felt like home since day one. The staff here at BVCS and members of the Christian Reformed Church welcomed us with open arms and made the transitions into a new job, church and community seemless. We came all the way from North Bay, Ontario trusting God that he had something new for us. Heidi and I met at a church youth group at the age of 14 and upon graduation from high school we

were married and headed to Guelph, ON. I studied Wildlife Biology at university and Heidi worked to support us. After graduation we were thankful to move back to northern Ontario and call North Bay home. After a few years in the work force I went back to university to get my Bachelor of Education. At the completion of my degree I was blessed to be hired by an Independent First Nation School, Nbisiing Secondary School, where I taught a variety of science and outdoor ed courses. It was a dream job that taught me much and provided many opportunities to display the love of Christ and share the truth of the gospel. Heidi and I were involved in our local church and very happy about the prospect of spending the rest of our lives in North Bay. Obviously God had something much different than we ever thought possible.

Early in the spring of 2016 both Heidi and I felt a radical change in our hearts as we were convinced that God was calling us to follow him somewhere new. We had never been west but loving the outdoors and everything about mountains we knew that Ontario would no longer be home. Heidi googled “small towns in Northern BC” and Smithers was the first hit and the pictures were amazing. I wasn’t convinced but Heidi knew this is where she wanted our new home to be. Months later after

much prayer I started to agree with Heidi. When I found out that Bulkley Valley Christian School existed I was floored. “A Christian school in a great little town like Smithers, could this be real?” My mind raced with the excitement that just maybe this is where God was leading us. When Chris Steenhof called to offer me a job at BVCS Heidi and I were overwhelmed with joy. We took a small step in faith and God led us and provided for us in ways we could not even imagine. Looking back at the events over the past 18 months it is blatantly obvious to see God at work in our lives. We are completely convinced that we are exactly where God wants us to be. This process has strengthened our faith and brought us closer together as a family. We feel so fortunate to be able to send our kids to school here at BVCS and that I can contribute to the wonderful work that is being done here. Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We as a family are thankful that God has prepared a place here for us and we are excited to serve alongside everyone in this community to advance the kingdom of God.

Year-End Drive By Tom Grasmeyer The year-end drive has been underway for about a month so far. To date we’ve raised just over

$37,000 towards flooring and a roof replacement (a few years away…we’ve started saving now). Our goal for this year is $40,000. Thank you to the many supporters who have contributed to this year-end drive. We still have a month to go. You can contribute securely online at www.bvcs.ca (see the

blue ‘Donate Online’ button top right). Your donation is tax-deductible for the 2017 year as long as we receive it on or before 31 December.

Staff Profile by James Horner

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If you visit the BVCS campus regularly, talk to students, read The Grapevine, or visit the school’s Facebook page, you are aware that the school is involved in a wide range of learning activities and opportunities that help us to fulfill our mission to “…appreciate, understand, and evaluate the world” so that our students can take the healing power of Jesus Christ to all areas of life.

Teachers have opportunities to learn at BVCS as well. One of the ways we do this is through our professional development days, such as the one we had recently on Friday, November 24. On that day Dennis deGroot of Global Partners in Christian Education visited our campus to help us at BVCS begin to build a partner-relationship with a Christian school in Sierra Leone, Africa.

Why are we learning about this? If you’ve been a part of BVCS for a few years, you may recall that when we sold the old elementary school property on Walnut Drive, the school board at that time began a process of investigating how our school community could bless a Christian school in the developing world with some of the proceeds of that sale. From that initial desire to be a blessing, we have now connected with a very rural, impoverished school in the village of Nafayie, Sierra Leone, in part through the help of Dennis deGroot. Dennis is a former principal of Surrey Christian School and was instrumental in leading that school into this type of relationship with a similar Christian school in rural Sierra Leone.

What will this partnership look like for BVCS? For the people of Nafayie village and their students? How will this relationship translate into learning opportunities and activities for our students? These are all good questions, and the simple answer at this point is that we do not know! Yet, it was these very questions - and many more– that we explored and discussed during our November 24 professional development day.

Based on what we learned that day, there are several things we did commit to as we develop this relationship:

1) we need to be patient! In our high-speed, instant-gratification and consumer-driven culture, it is normal for us to expect things to happen NOW. By way of contrast, the Nafayie village and school have no power, no running water, no textbooks, no learning resources, and (thankfully!) no pre-occupation with social media. This means we – who have been given much – must adopt to their cultural practices and way of doing things, rather than impose our way on them. We need to be committed to the long-term benefits of a long-term relationship, and this requires moving slowly.

2) we have to resist the temptation to simply send financial help. Given that the average wage earner in this part of Sierra Leone makes $1 per day, it would seem honourable and proper to send a financial gift to this school and its community.

However, we learned that simply sending money easily translates into a dependency on further continued aid, and actually undermines the communities’ self-reliance and commitment to their own well-being. It also potentially feeds our own egos. Again, we need to be patient and be committed to the long-term benefits of a long-term relationship.

3) we need to be intentional. By this I mean that we need to be purposeful in making connections to the school and its community by earning their trust through proper cultural protocols. For example, when Dennis travels to this school in January 2018, we will send a small gift to the local village chief and the students in the school that will serve as a greeting to them, allowing them to “meet” us in this way, and thereby earn their trust so that we can become partners, growing the relationship together over time.

As a staff, we are excited about this new learning opportunity and are confident of God’s leading and direction in the process. You can expect to hear more about this village, its school, and its people as the relationship grows and we each learn about each other. I expect that in seeking to be a blessing to them, we will also be blessed along the way. In this manner, we hope to help our students “…appreciate, understand, and evaluate the world” – at least in this small corner of Sierra Leone. May God be glorified by our efforts!

Partnering with Sierra Leone by Jonathan Boone

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THE GRAPEVINE Volume 33 Issue 2