Volume 19, Number 1

Celebrate1517: Today, the focus is on Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone), the only foundation. The Bible is the only infallible and sufficient rule for governing issues of life and doctrine.

Greetings from your school everyone on this chilly Friday morning, and welcome to volume nineteen of our weekly newsletter, the Chronicle. Through this newsletter we will keep you informed as to the goings-on at John Calvin School on a regular basis. If you have anything to contribute to the Chronicle, please make sure you send it to the office on or by the Thursday evening prior to publication.

We have had a wonderful first week. The Lord has blessed us with cooler weather so that we could go about our daily work unhindered by heat and humidity. We pray for His blessing and guidance as we continue with our learning and teaching at John Calvin School for the next 38 weeks or so. We look forward to working with you, parents, as we assist you (in loco parentis) in the nurture of your children, helping develop in them the talents freely and graciously given by God, to the end that they may serve Him in a life of responsible, Christian stewardship.

We are thankful that so many parents, grandparents, and other members from our community could join the students and teachers at Tuesday morning’s assembly. It was good to start the school year in God’s Word, whether it was in song or in word. We could hear about why we do what we do and the purpose and character of Reformed Education, and sing several songs connected to the theme including Hymn 53:1 (A Mighty Fortress is Our God). Through his story about Adam, Mr. Hummel, the chairman of the board, spoke a few words of support and encouragement to the students and staff. May the Lord continue to bless the work of the board and its committees throughout the 2017-2018 school year as they carry out their respective, voluntary tasks on behalf of the school society.

In his address, the principal focused on this year’s theme (Celebrate1517, the 500th anniversary of the Great Reformation) and theme text, Romans 1:16,17- “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” He also reflected briefly on last year’s theme, Canada’s Sesquicentennial.

This year, along with the rest of the Reformed Christians around the world, we are celebrating the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Reformation in the Christian Church; initiated by Martin Luther and carried out in other parts of Europe by reformers such as John Calvin, John Knox, Ulrich Zwingli and many others. At its heart, the Great Reformation that the aforementioned set in motion called for reform by going back to the Bible’s teaching about salvation.   The five pillars/solae (Sola Scriptura, Solus Christus, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, and Soli Deo Gloria) remain as vital as ever for understanding the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. Throughout the year we will be celebrating what it is to be Reformed Christians with thankfulness and humility for what Christ has done. Reformation does not come about by the will or work of man, but God works through the preaching of His Word by faithful servants and the work of the Holy Spirit to bring out the reform He has willed until Christ’s return. Some of our activities this year will include: working with the aforementioned 5 Pillars, making a Celebrate1517 display in the hallway by the staff room, Celebrate1517 activities such as poetry, story and narrative, and visual arts, incorporating a number of Reformation DVDs for classroom viewing, and more.

During the assembly, the new kindergarten students were introduced as were the new students in other grades. Six new teachers/support staff—Miss Ravensbergen, Miss Broersma, Mrs. DeBoer, Mrs. VanSydenborgh, Mrs. Gansekoele (return from maternity leave), Miss Hoeksema, and Miss Vanderlaan, were also introduced. Once all was said and done, the students and their teachers headed back to their respective classrooms to get the school year underway.

We congratulate Dan and Jeannette Huizinga with the birth of their daughter, Kailey, who is a sister to Camryn in KB. All is well with mom, baby, and the rest of the family too. (Our children all are gifts of God, our sons and daughters his reward— each one a blessing from the LORD, as heritage on us bestowed.” Psalm 127:3, BoP) May our Heavenly Father provide the parents with all they need as they raise Kailey and the rest of their children in the fear of His Name.

A few items for your attention:

*We welcome Justin (Grade 8B) and Jordan (Grade 5B) Caruso to John Calvin School. They are currently living in Smithville with Tyler and Kara Nichol, their uncle and aunt. We wish them all the best and the Lord’s blessing as they make themselves familiar with our school and school community, and get to know and interact with their classmates and schoolmates.

*Today, Grade 5 was able to spend the morning at the West Lincoln Fair. Their main purpose in attending was to be in the audience when five Grades 4&5 students participated in the first ever Spelling Bee hosted by the Fair. We wish Joel DeVries (Grade 4), Reuben Hofsink (Grade 4), Madelyn DeBoer (Grade 5), Ethan Schuller, and Danya VanderVelde (Grade 5) all the best at the Spelling Bee. While there, the students were also able to take in some of the displays and activities of the fair.

*Parents and grandparents are reminded that there is no parking by the kitchen and the storage room during the day. Once again, we request that when you come to school to pick-up or drop off your child(ren) that you refrain from parking inside the “pyloned off” area, particularly during recess times and at the end of the day. There is an additional exit on the north side of the school (Special Needs wing) from where parents can pick-up their children. Thank you for your cooperation.

*Also with respect to drop-offs and pick-ups, we remind parents to come to the main office so that office staff can inform the classroom teacher via intercom of a pick-up or drop-off, and the parent can then proceed to pick-up her child(ren) or bring him to his classroom (more so in the case of younger children). We also thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

*The chocolate bars for the annual chocolate bar sale arrived on the second day of school. All students from Grades 4-8 are encouraged to participate so that the work is shared as well as the profits. The profits are placed in the Student Fund to support the costs of class trips and such items of direct benefit to the students. If everyone sells at least one box, we will be a long way to our goal. The cost of the individual bar/box is the same as last year, $3.00. Thus, those students who sell an entire box need to bring in $90.00 to the school.

*The first few weeks of the fall season in the athletics department are devoted to soccer and the cross-country run. Training has begun for soccer and will begin soon for cross-country. John Calvin School is once again hosting the soccer tournament at the school and the West Lincoln Leisureplex. The tournament is scheduled for Saturday, September 23rd. The cross-country runners will be participating in the annual Guido de Bres invitational meet scheduled for Friday, October 6. We thank the coaches (teachers and parents) for giving their time to get the athletes ready for these events.

*Later this month, a bus evacuation drill and review of bus expectations will be held with all the students. Stay tuned for when that will be. At this time, I would ask that parents also remind their children of the expectations that are listed in the Parent Handbook. Bus behaviour needs regular monitoring and, if a problem arises, it would be appreciated if you let the transportation committee or the principal know about it. We can only address those situations that we are made aware of.

Reminders:

*Please note that PTA forms must be returned on or by next week Friday, September 15.

*If your child has music lessons in the school or in the church, please ensure that they are aware of when the lesson takes place. Even though they may have written a permanent note on the board, it is not the teacher’s responsibility to remind the student of their lesson.

*Please have the Emergency Medical Treatment form and any other forms returned to the school by Monday. The school has purchased student accident insurance which covers the students only on school days and school hours. This does not include any other school or Saturday events. We strongly encourage you, if you do not already have insurance, to check out the flyer and the FAQ`s that you received from Reliable Life and pay a small amount to get 24/7, 365 day coverage.

*We would like to remind parents that if they have any questions or concerns about the procedures and routines of the school to please contact the school either by telephone or by email as opposed to discussing questions and concerns via other means of communication, e.g. social media. In this way, we can keep each other better informed about what is happening in and around the school.

*All medication, e.g. puffers, epi-pens, needs to be properly labelled. For those students who require oral prescription medication, Tylenol or Aspirin, the school has a form that parents will need to fill out so that the medication can be administered by the classroom teacher.

*John Calvin School is planning a Fall Food Drive for West Lincoln Community Care from September 18 to October 6.

*Picture is scheduled for Tuesday, September 19.

Have a great weekend everyone and may the Lord grant you a blessed Sunday. We hope to touch base again next week.   G. Hofsink

Classroom News

Kindergarten

The first week of school has already flown by! Busy, but a good and fun busy! Next week, we look forward to learning the letter Aa, as well as our very first word, “a”! We will also introduce our first colour word, “red”. In Bible, we will hear the disappointing story of the Fall when we all fell into sin and which still affects us today. We will also learn about Cain and Abel, demonstrating the immediate effects of the Fall. In Math, we are learning various sorting and classifying words, like top, middle, right, left, big, small, etc. In Social Studies we will be studying our families. We would love to see a picture of your family, which your child may then hang up above his/her hook in the hallway. On Thursday/Friday our first memory work is due: Hymn 53:1. Although we try to sing it often in the classroom, most children need to practise frequently at home in order to know it well. Please remember to check and sign your child’s agenda each school day. Agendas can be an excellent tool for communication… if we use them! If all goes as planned, your child will also be taking home a Memory Work duotang sometime next week. All the songs, texts, and letter songs should be in it so that you can review and practise with your child at home. Please bring it back to school at the end of each week so that the teacher can put a sticker beside the ones your child knows. And of course, if you have any questions about anything, don’t hesitate to contact the teacher! Have a blessed weekend! FVI & NR

Grade 1

Welcome to a new school year! We have had a good start this week. The children are busy learning the new (and somewhat more rigid) routines in grade 1. This week we have practised naming the letters of the alphabet and remembering what sounds they make. We have begun to learn out very LONG theme text and are singing our memory songs everyday. We should know it by heart by next week Friday. We practise it often at school. Hopefully you practise it at home too. Students will be tested on the text and their sight (colour) words next week, probably Friday. We usually give a pre-test of the Spelling words on Thursday. If the students spell all the words correctly on the pre-test, they are excused from writing the Friday dictation. Many of you have already filled out and returned the forms needed in the office. Thank-you! If you haven’t already done so, can you make sure all the paperwork is completed and submitted next week? Some of the children did not bring a pencil case or pencil box to school. These are really important tools to keep desks organized and pencils and crayons from getting lost. This week the students have learned important lessons about playground safety and they have taken home a booklet with some of the rules that were discussed. Have a look! Can you make sure that you initial your child’s agenda for the day that they are going to school. This way we know that the information communicated in there has reached you.

Memory Work: Hymn 10: 1, Romans 1:16-17

Word Wall Words: a, and, of, the, to

Sight words: brown, red, green, yellow, blue, orange, purple, black, pink, gray, white

Grade 2

What a great start to the 2017/2018 school year. It is always challenging to get back into routines, but we are definitely well on our way. In Bible classes, we have started a unit about the birth and early life of our Saviour. In Science, we have been exploring bones and the amazing way that God has created our structure. Please check the agenda for a letter about math facts. We’re very excited to get started again with this program. The first facts are coming home today. Have a great weekend! JA and RG

Memory work: Hymn 19:3

Text: Books of the New Testament (due Sep.22)

Spelling words: way, black, very, off, them

Grade 3

Praise the LORD for He is good! How good it is again to begin another teaching year of our LORD. We started with a bang and the students had a great first week(so did the teachers)! Routines are coming into place and lots of forms and tissue boxes were brought in already. Thank you! Looking back we are thankful for all the volunteers who came in this summer to clean and fix the school. Well done! Thanks also to those who organized this event! We are thankful that both Mr. Hofsink and Miss Buist are back healthy and able to do their tasks at John Calvin. We pray for Mrs. M. Visser who is experiencing health concerns. Just looking ahead to October…we are hoping to visit Ireland House in Burlington in connection to our Pioneer studies. (DV) We will be dressing up for this trip. 🙂 More details coming your way as we near the date. In our Bible classes we heard the stories of creation and the fall into sin. Thank the Lord for Jesus Christ who came to set us free from sin and death. We started our first novel study, Sarah, Plain, and Tall, and are enjoying our lap books. Ask us all about them. That’s it for now. Have a blessed weekend. J.B./M.P.

Both Mrs. Poort and Miss Breukleman will be using the JCS email this year.

Mrs. Poort at minny.poort@johncalvinschool.com

Miss Breukelman at jolanda.breukelman@johncalvinschool.com

Hymn 63:4; Theme Text for the whole year: Romans 1:16-17

Text for next week: Books of the Old Testament

Words: again, because, could, favourite

Grade 4

What a phenomenal first week! It was a joy meeting the new grade 4s and starting to get to know them. On Wednesday, September 13, the students have their first Bible test on 1 Samuel 1-6. They will get their Bible duotangs home to study on Monday and Tuesday.   We are starting a unit in Science on investigating living things and their homes by mid-week.

Spelling words: hop, mud, there, hunt, frog, buzz, their rocks, such, swam,clock, shop, bug, cup

Memory work: Psalm 122:1 (September 15) Psalm 66:1 (September 22) Romans 1:16-17 (September 15)

Miss Hoeksema and Mrs Lemstra

Grade 5

Welcome to Grade 5! It is hard to believe that our first week of school is already over. We have spent the week getting to know one another, learning the rules and routines of Grade 5 and, of course, doing some work. A nice surprise for the students was the fact that they already had a Field Trip today. Ethan (5B), Danya (5B), Madelyn (5A), Joel DeVries(4), and Rueben Hofsink (4) will have competed in the Spelling Bee hosted by The West Lincoln Fair. We are sure you will hear plenty about their trip when they come home today. A special note to you parents: The Psalms/Hymns part of our Memory Work needs to be shifted down a week.The students did not have any Memory Work for today and we will begin the list next week. This year, students will are responsible for participating in our lunch devotions. As teachers, we will still do the devotions for another week and then each child will have days assigned to them throughout the year. A sheet will go home and we ask that you aid your child in preparing their prayers and sign the sheet as well. Have a wonderful weekend and a blessed Sunday. Dayna VanderVelde won the Spelling Bee and the other 4 students did very well and represented our school well. SO/KVL

Memory Work: Psalm 16:1

Text: Romans 1:16,17

Library: Thursday

Phys. Ed.: Wednesday and Friday

Grade 6

We have had an excellent start to the new school year. Our units in Church History about the church during the years 300-500 A.D., L.A., about different perspectives, and Science, the science of flight have all been started. Ask someone in Grade 6A why the Black Sea was given its name. Students are reminded to have a prayer written and signed by a parent for their devotion day. For the vocab words, the students need to know how to spell the word, its meaning, and be able to write a sentence showing its meaning. Please bring in seeds or leaves for next week’s experiment. Have a blessed weekend.MDB/CVA

Devotions: 6A   T-Stephen W-Anjelica   Th-Keira   F-Melissa

6B M-Reuben T-Susanna W-Elijah   Th-Victoria   F-Abby

Memory work: Text- Ps.8:1-5-Sept.14, Song-Ps.104:1

Quizzes: Vocab-Sept.14(6A) Sept.15(6B)   Ch.H.- Sept.15

Grade 7A

Well…we’re back at it for another year and by all accounts it’s a good start. We’re learning about Samuel and Saul in Bible History as well as number theory in Math. We’re working on Journal Article reviews in Language Arts and European exploration of Canada in History. Ask your child how their independent study is coming along….. next week they’ll submit their topic of interest and be required to read a book about the subject. Please remember to contact me with any questions or concerns at ta_witten@hotmail.com Enjoy your weekend.

Grade 7B

Welcome to Grade 7B! The first week has flown by and everyone is already getting settled in. I look forward to having a great year with Grade 7! A reminder that students will be in charge of devotions for one week at a time. Devotions for next week – Leah A. Have a great weekend!

Grade 8A

The first week of 2017-2018 has flown by. By now we have settled nicely into our routines and are beginning to dig into our first units of the year. In Bible class we have begun to study the Intertestamentary Period, and did so by looking at the visions of Daniel 2 and 8 and their relationship with the period found in between the testaments. In History we started to unpack how a country even gets to the point of deciding they want to form one! Interestingly, we saw how it is a similar pathway immigrants or bakers take. Have a blessed weekend. Cheers, Mr. J

Grade 8B

The first week of school is done! Please ask your child about their Independent Research Project. They must have a booked picked out, and approved by next week Friday. Caleb: current events. Kendra: devotions Monday –Friday. Have a great weekend. KG