General News

For the remaining months of the school year, the monthly themes will focus on the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23). During the month of April, we will be spending time on the first cluster of fruit: love, joy, and peace. This week, I will write a few words about the first fruit, love. Love is more important than all the spiritual gifts exercised in the body of Christ. Great faith, acts of dedication or sacrifice, and works of kindness produce very little without love. Love makes our actions and gifts useful. Although people have different gifts, love is available to everyone. “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.   But the greatest of these is love.” (I Corinthians 13:13) In the words of the Lord Jesus, we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind; and love our neighbour as ourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39) Let us strive to show that love in our daily walk and talk.

Greetings from the school everyone as we bring an unexpected short week of teaching and learning to a close. Cold and snow seems to be the theme of the week with flurries this morning (and a bit of accumulation) and the snow day on Monday; which, I might add, was enjoyed by most everyone. May the Lord continue to provide students and teachers with all they need as they carry out their respective tasks to the honour and glory of His Name.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the board chairman, Mr. Roy Hummel, and his family as they prepare to lay to rest his sister who passed away last weekend from a brain aneurism.   May our Heavenly Father continue to provide comfort. May He continue to be with all who need Him in a special way. As for Miss Buist’s health status, she is scheduled to undergo surgery sometime in early May.

This week, the roof is being completed including the dormers. Plywood installation started last week and was completed this week with the shingles following right on the heels of the plywood. Now that the roof is almost done, inside work can begin without concern from the elements. Once again, we are thankful for all the progress that has been made.

A few items for your attention:

*School Evaluation: Please remember to complete the Parent Questionnaire using the Survey Monkey link that was emailed to you last week. If you would prefer completing the questionnaire on paper, please give the school a call. Access to Survey Monkey will close on Monday, April 11.

*The Spring Food Drive in support of West Lincoln Community Care continues until Friday, April 15. We encourage the students to bring in non-perishable food items to help out those who are in need in the region of West Lincoln.

*Grade 5 had a very enjoyable Star Gazing party on Wednesday evening. Unfortunately, the inclement weather caused the event to take place indoors so the students were not able to use the telescopes to the see the stars. However, there was still lots to learn about God’s amazing universe.

*All three basketball teams had a very good tournament last week Friday. The girls’ team just missed out on qualifying for the championship game when they lost their next to last round-robin game on a buzzer-beater basket. For the boys’ teams, JCS 1 lost only one game in their pool (to Heritage 1) which meant they could not move on to the final. JCS 2 only lost one game in their pool but qualified for the final on a tie-breaker. They were defeated in the final by the same Heritage team that defeated JCS 1. Well done teams and thank you coaches. Thanks also to the parents who came out to cheer on the teams.

The plan is to begin baseball practices on Monday, April 18 and to continue with them every Monday and Thursday until the tournament which is scheduled for Saturday, May 28.

*Mr. Witten and three students from Grades 7&8 (Benjamin Alkema, Noah DeVries, and Matthew Stel) will be travelling to Cornerstone Christian School in Guelph on Tuesday of next week to participate in the annual Canadian Reformed Schools chess tournament. We wish the chess players all the best in the competition.

*Little Caesar’s fundraiser: The orders for the pizza kit fundraiser are due on Friday, April 15. The pizzas must be picked up on Wednesday, April 27 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.

*A kick-off assembly for the McNally House fundraiser walk is planned for Wednesday afternoon, April 20 beginning at 2:15 p.m. Mrs. Pamela Blackwood, the director of McNally House, will be helping us get started on our community fundraiser. She will be giving us some information about the hospice and providing the students with pledge forms at the same time. We encourage all participants that the pledge sheet be filled, and don’t hesitate to seek out the support of your neighbours– they are often quite willing to give to such a cause and in this way it doesn’t always come out of the same pockets. Parents and grandparents are also welcome to join us, but no pets please. The John Calvin School community has raised substantial sums for this cause over the past number of years and hopes to do so again.

*ASC Spring Meeting: Assisting the Special Child would like to invite you to its spring meeting. This year, we will be continuing the conversation about anxiety and depression with a panel discussion on the topic. Dr. Gary Veenman, Rev. Jack Moesker, and Mrs. Lorraine Post will be the panellists. The meeting is scheduled to take place, D.V., on Thursday, April 28 at Covenant Canadian Reformed Church in Grassie beginning at 7:30 p.m. We hope to see many of you there. If you cannot make this presentation, the same presentation will be given at Cornerstone Christian School in Guelph next week Thursday, April 14.

*The students and teachers continue to sing and recite in preparation for our Ascension/ Pentecost concert, Spreading the Good News, which we hope to perform on Friday evening, May 13 in the Smithville church building.

*Please Note: The email address, johncalvin@bellnet.ca, is longer available. It has been permanently replaced by office@johncalvinschool.com.

Reminders:

*Due to construction, please do not park in the parking lot by the kitchen during the day.   Thank you for your cooperation.

*News and Views materials are due on Monday, April 11.

*The Open House for parents and grandparents/seniors is scheduled to take place on Friday morning, May 6 from 8:15-11:45. There will be a lunch for the grandparents/seniors served by the Ladies’ Auxiliary. The same afternoon the school will be participating in the community fundraiser walk for McNally House.

Enjoy your weekend and have a blessed Sunday. We’ll touch base again next week Friday, the Lord willing.   G. Hofsink

Classroom News

Kindergarten

As I am writing this, I anticipate that the kindergartners had a fun trip to the superstore to learn about healthy food, and the different food groups. Thank you to those who helped out. We are continuing to learn new songs for the program, so please practice with your children when able. As we are now in Term 3 some new things will be implemented, such as the at home reading program, as well as more focus on independence and being quiet when working, in preparation for Grade 1. Enjoy the sunshine, and have a blessed weekend. S.L, M.D.

Letter of the week: Vv

Word of the week : Like

Grade 1

Starting the week off with a snow day has bumped our Bible Test to Monday. Booklets were sent home today. Our new unit is about a Kingdom of Peace where we will be learning about King Solomon. We have also completed another math unit with a test and hope to begin a chapter about fractions. Our “Mr. Whiskers” readers have been sent home. Please practice reading these with your child and return the readers on Friday. We are starting a new reader called “The Toy-box”. Please also encourage your child to read along in the Bible and find the songs in the Book of Praise. We are learning a lot about maps and all the symbols that we find on them. In addition to all this, we are also spending a lot of time practicing for the concert in May. That’s all the news for this week. Have a blessed weekend. JvB & HB

Memory Work Psalm 140:4, Genesis 12:2,3

Grade 2

The unexpected snow day on Monday was enjoyed by all. As we introduced our new Memory Work it really struck us how our God is in control of all weather conditions. In Church History the students have learned about two boys, Augustine and Pelagius. The students were asked to predict from the story which boy would grow up to defend God’s Word and which boy would attack it with a lie. Ask your child about these two boys. We have begun a novel study called The Drinking Gourd. Students have been introduced to the Underground Railroad. They were shocked and dismayed to learn about the conditions in which the slaves lived. Ask your child who Harriet Tubman and Abraham Lincoln are. Have a good weekend! RG/HV

Memory work: Psalm 147:5

Words: new, knew, mail, nice

Quiz: Church History – Tuesday

Grade 3

Who would have thought we would enjoy a snow day in April! It was a surprise to many. Jaxon had ear tube surgery done this past Tuesday; we wish him a good recuperation. Our trip to Janco Steel has been organized! We hope to go on Wednesday, April 20th, leaving at 9:00 am. Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. A. Schutten for allowing us to learn about their work in the community of Stoney Creek/Hamilton. If you wish to come along, jot us a note in your child’s agenda. In Bible we are learning about the LORD’s holiness as the people were encamped at Mount Sinai. It is He who initiated the covenant with His chosen people. Awesome! We continue to learn more about communities in Social Studies, are practising our Snow Treasure plays, and Les Trois Petits Cochons, continue to skip in gym, and work on seeing patterns in Math. Parents, continue to practise memory work, text, spelling words and math facts on a regular basis at home. This will strengthen memorization, as well as get study skills down pat for Grade 4. Thank you so much for your help in this regard. Just a reminder, we collect mission money every Friday. We wish you a good weekend. MP/JB

Memory work: Ps 124:1; Text: Isaiah 49:6

Spelling words: almost, also, always, impossible

Grade 4A

I ask that you send a few things with your child to school this week: supplies for their ‘Book Buffet’ book report, Mission Money on Friday (sometimes there is none), and with all the colds that are going around, I ask that you send your child with a box of Kleenexes – before we run out. We have started the novel From Anna, and the students are very interested! They are also very excited about presenting their book report in a Book Buffet. In Science, after we have studied how light reveals all things around us and how light travels, we will study the eye. It is amazing what children can learn and what kind of questions they have. They have to study different facts and we hope that you as parents encourage your children to stand in awe for God’s Creation. The upcoming Pentecost program is being practised, and we are praising the Lord in different languages. It’s going to be impressive. IdV MB

M- PE clothes; Book Buffet Supplies W-library T-PE clothes;

F- MM$ Memory Work Hymn22:1 Phil2:8-11

Devotions T-Annika F-Jewel

Grade 4B

Time continues to march on. What an unexpected, but I’m sure not unwelcome, snow day we experienced on Monday. As the students and I discussed the next day, God is in control and only He knows exactly what this creation of His needs. In Bible we have again reached the end of another unit. There will be a test on Tuesday. Duotangs will be going home this weekend already so that students can spend some time studying (don’t forget to bring them back on Monday!). We are planning on having our From Anna novel. We have some “paper work” to do with this and then we will be focussing our attention on completing our Book Buffet. We are also nearing the end of our Math unit on 3D shapes. A test on these and all the other concepts we learned such as line segments, intersecting and parallel lines is planned for next Wednesday. Plenty of class time will be given to review these concepts but the students are encouraged to practice some at home as well. Have a wonderful weekend. SO

Devotions: M. Nevaeh, Tu. Jordan, W. Justin, Th. Leah, Fr. Julia

Memory Work: Recitation of Matthew 28-18-20 etc for concert, O People of the Risen King

Tuesday: Bible Test

Wednesday: Math Test

Grade 5

Too bad the weather didn’t co-operate for the star gazing evening. However, the indoor presentation left the students very excited about what they could learn about space. The local astronomy club will be setting up their telescopes at Fireman’s Park in Niagara Falls and students and their families have been invited to observe the skies with them on Saturday April 16 between 8:00 and 11:00. A poster with the relevant information is hanging up in our hallway. Students in Miss Buist’s Math class wrote their Math test on Friday, instead of Thursday. We just weren’t ready to start with it on Thursday. Look for them to be returned sometime next week. Each of the students has a program of the Ascension/Pentecost program. We are working on the songs at school, but they can work on them at home too.

Memory Work: Psalm 87:1-5

Lunch Devotions: Jordana, Evan, Ilse, Kierra, Myles

Spelling Words: doesn’t, waiting , lying, photography, film, golden, spotted, haven’t, slipped, they’d, stood, he’ll, lay, groundhog, they’re, weren’t

Grade 6A

As we travel with the Israelites through the wilderness, we discuss their various complaints, why it is sinful, God’s judgment and mercy shown to them. In Art a landscape drawing will be drawn with very fine black markers using stippling, hatching, crosshatching and shading. We have taken on the challenge to learn the first verse of our French song for the program, as well as, continuing to learn the Dutch song. To go along with the discussion about the periodic table, we listened to the 118 elements put to song and we were amazed to watch a 3 year old able to name the various elements on the flashcards and also know something about them. We will not be filling our brain with all that information, but we hope to learn some more about this table next week. Have a blessed weekend. CV

Devotions: T-Kaitlyn   W-Meah Th-Lydia   F-Amy

Hy.59:1-Apr.15   Science Quiz-Apr.14

Grade 6B

We had a busy week here in 6B! In Bible we are looking at how God organized His people. In Literature we have been looking at the construction of cathedrals. We discussed some of the architectural terms and medieval methods of building. We also looked at Canterbury Cathedral to see how cathedrals were built over a long period of time and thus contain many different styles of architecture. We then went on a virtual tour of the cathedral to admire its beauty! In Science we are discussing the different elements and the periodic table. Next week we hope to make compounds! Have a lovely weekend! MDB

Memory Work Song: Psalm 87: 3, 5

Memory Work Text: Deut. 32: 1-4

Devotions: M. Caleb     T. Claire     W. Eliana     T. Emmalyne     F. Gabriel

Grade 7A

This past week we have been busy working with and memorizing portions of our upcoming Pentecost assembly. It does mean a larger amount of memorization needs to be done but realistic goals are in place. Ask your child how their memorization is coming along. We’ll look at art through the ages as we research the art of the ancients and orient and how they continue to affect us today. Sales and discounts will be the focus in Mathematics as we work with consumer math. We’ll also look at the eighth wonder of the world; compound interest. Our former classmate, Moses Dethan, will be celebrating his birthday on Sunday, the LORD willing. In honour of his birthday we’ll dress Indonesian on Monday. Ask your child for more details. Enjoy your weekend.

Grade 7B

We have completed our study on the reign of King Solomon. Together with that we have completed the construction of a scale model of Solomon’s temple. It is on display in our classroom. Please feel free to drop in and have a look. Students have done a fantastic job of making the temple and its furnishings, not to mention the priests and some of the lambs for sacrificing, all to scale. In L.A. we are busy working on radio plays. Our Memory Work schedule is a little heavier than normal in anticipation of the school program on May 13. KB

Devotions week of April 11 – Levi

Devotions week of April 18 – David

Friday – MW – LD 21 Q 54; Your Hand O God has Guided (3 stanzas)

Grade 8

It’s been a turbulent week in Grade 8; a snow day on Monday, no snow left by Thursday, and a teacher with strep! We managed just fine however; a special thanks to the students for their patience. In History we started a project on the Canadian Pacific Railroad, and in Math we continued to work with two-step inequalities in our unit on Equations and Inequalities. Our Geography quiz has been moved to Monday and we are also looking at a Math quiz on Tuesday. Remember to get any outstanding Bottle Drive monies in! For next week: MW: Ps. 87: 4,5; Col. 3:12-14; Devo: AB. Cheers, Mr. J