General News

Greetings from your school, readers, and welcome to volume eighteen of our weekly school 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 an excellent first week, albeit a bit hot and muggy the first few days. It was nice to have a bit of relief today so that we could end the week in somewhat more pleasant conditions. We pray for the Lord’s blessing and guidance as we continue with our learning and teaching at John Calvin School for the next ten months or so. We look forward to working with you, parents, as we assist you 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. “May the bless us and keep us and make His face shine upon and be gracious to us.”(Numbers 6:24&25)
We are thankful that so many parents, grandparents, and others from our community could join the students and teachers at Tuesday morning’s assembly. It was good, once again, 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, using our gifts and talents, relying on God, Christ having dominion over square centimeter of this earth, telling others about Canada’s Christian heritage, and singing several songs connected to the theme including the theme song, Hymn 46 (Christ Shall Have Dominion). Mr. R. Hummel, the chairman of the board, spoke a few words of support and encouragement to the students and staff focusing on the theme of responsibility. May the Lord continue to bless the work of the board and its committees throughout the 2016-2017 school year as they carry out their respective, voluntary tasks in behalf of the school society.
In his address, the principal focused on this year’s theme taken from Psalm 72:8, “May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.” As Canada will be celebrating its sesquicentennial in 2017, we will do our part helping our country celebrate its 150th birthday. We will do so with various events and activities throughout the year always bearing in mind that we and our country accept the peaceful dominion of Jesus Christ and accept God as our Ruler Supreme, the One who keeps our land strong, glorious, and free. Society around us may not accept these truths that Reformed Christians believe so we have a calling to share with them Canada’s Christian heritage. Mr. Hofsink concluded his address with a slide that he shared at the year end assembly in June: How we are to Live for God, Day by Day. May our good and gracious God provide us with what we need as we strive to do this each and every day.
1. Imitate Christ’s compassionate, forgiving attitude.
2. Let love guide your life.
3. Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart.
4. Always be thankful.
5. Keep God’s Word in you at all times.
6. Live as Jesus Christ’s representative.
During the assembly, the new kindergarten students were introduced as were the new students in other grades. Six new teachers, Mrs. Visser, Mrs. VanIperen, Miss Bouwman, Miss Homan, Mrs. Groen, and Mr. Breukelman were also introduced. Once all was said and done, the students headed back to their respective classrooms to get the school year underway.

A few items for your attention:

• This year, the staff made a decision to allow students to enter the school immediately after the morning and lunch recesses are over. Thus, the students no longer need to line up. When they arrive at the doors, a teacher will be there to greet them when they return to class. The reason for this is to allow for quicker and more effective flow back into the school, and to prevent any pushing, shoving, jockeying for position that occurs in the line while waiting for the teacher(s) to let the students into the school.
• Parents and grandparents, you may have noticed the pylons placed across the driveway by the crosswalk, and that there is no parking by the kitchen and storage area during the day. The reason for this is that this is part of the play area for the students in Grades K-4. We had to designate this out of necessity when the addition was being built and the students enjoyed it so much that we decided to keep it this way. We request that when you come to the school to pick-up or drop off your child(ren) that you refrain from parking inside the “pyloned off” area especially during recess times and at the end of the day. Parents may use the church parking lot to pick up their child(ren) at the end of the day. Thank you very much for your cooperation.
• Also, with respect to drop-offs and pick-ups, we expect all parents to come to the main office so that office staff (someone will be in the office all day, every day) can inform the classroom teacher via intercom of a pick-up or drop-off, and the parent can then proceed to pick up his/her child(ren) or bring him/her to his/her classroom(more so in the case of younger children). We also thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
• If parents drop off their children before school, please do so using the driveway on the north side of the church so as not to interfere with the coming and going of the eight buses that navigate the other driveway. This would be greatly appreciated by the bus drivers and make it safer for all.
• The chocolate bars for the annual chocolate bar sales arrived on schedule on the first 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 for the individual box/bar 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 is once again hosting the soccer tournament at the school and the West Lincoln Leisureplex. The tournament is scheduled for Saturday, September 24. The cross-country runners will be participating in the annual Guido de Bres invitational meet scheduled for Friday, October 7. We thank the coaches (teachers and parents) for giving their time to get the athletes ready for these events.
• Later next week, a bus drill is being planned for the students in Kindergarten and Grade 1 to remind them of bus expectations and bus evacuation rules. 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:

• 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 during school hours. This does not include any after 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 labeled. For those students who require oral prescription medication, Tylenol or Aspirin, the school has a form that parents will fill out so that the medication can be administered by the classroom teacher.
• Picture day is scheduled for Monday, September 19.
• The school is planning a Fall Food Drive for West Lincoln Community from September 19 to October 7.

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

It has been a very busy week for Kindergarten! We have learned so many things about school in our two short Kindergarten days! Next week we will be learning the letter “S” and the sight word “the”. In Bible, we will learn what sad things happened after the LORD created this beautiful world. In Math, we will continue to study sorting. At the end of the week, we will all be able to sing Hymn 46:1 to our teacher. God made each of us special, with our own personality and also our very own family. Several students have brought in a photo of their family to hang up by their coat hooks, and we look forward to seeing some more. MD & FV

Grade 1

Wow, what a hot first week of school! Please send a (labelled) water bottle to school with your child. We will finish our creation stories and begin to talk about what happened after the fall in our Bible stories next week. Please look for a “creation wheel” that the students have been working on this week. In our introductory letter, we included a schedule for show and tell. Please make sure that you refer to it also to know when it is your child’s turn for the microwave. Please keep to this schedule. It is already very difficult for some of the children to eat their lunches in the time allotted. If you have not already done so, please complete the forms that were sent home at open house or on the first day of school and return them in your child’s agenda. We will make sure they get to the office. Can you please indicate that you have seen your child’s agenda by putting your initial on the date it was sent home? JvB/ AB

Memory work: Hymn 10:1, Psalm 72:8 (text)

Spelling words: and, can, I, is, the (quiz on Friday)

Grade 2

Welcome back to school! The students are eager to be back and have had a great start to the new year. Despite the heat, the students were able to fall back into most of the regular school routines. In Bible, we have begun learning about Jesus’ birth and ministry on earth. We will have a short Bible test on Wednesday. The Bible books will be sent home for review on Tuesday night. The students will also spend some time reviewing during Bible class on Tuesday. The students will have taken home a bag full of Math facts today. We will slowly add more Math facts to this bag as the year progresses. Each student will take their bag home nightly and we ask that you take just a few minutes to practice these facts with your child. For more information please see the note that has accompanied the Math fact bags. In Science we have begun a unit called “Investigating Bones and Muscles.” The students are very excited to learn more about the amazing body that the Lord has given us! That’s it for now! Have a great weekend! JB/HV

Memory Work: Hymn 19:3

Spelling: way, black, very, off, them

Grade 3

Happy New School Year! We are so thankful to be back. The Lord has blessed us and kept us safe this summer and we pray for His continued blessing for this new year. Just looking ahead…we hope to visit the Jordan Pioneer Schoolhouse again this year in October. (DV) The students will need to dress up for this…stay tuned for more details. We had a great first week. Routines beginning to take place and new lessons started. In our Church History unit we are learning about a man named John Eliot. Ask your child why he was important to the work of Jesus Christ gathering His church. We also started reading the novel, Little House In The Big Woods.

Just a reminder to bring back all forms asap. The students should also take a plastic bag on Tuesday for their library books. Thank you! J.B./M.P.

Hymn 63:4; Text: Psalm 72:8 (two weeks) School Theme Text

Books of the Old Testament (two weeks)

Words: they, until, very, want, who, again, because, could, favourite

Grade 4A

The new school year has begun, and we could begin our week with an assembly, asking the Lord to be near us in the year to come. What a blessing to know He will help us in our respective tasks. We are slowly but surely getting into routines again. Here’s what we’ve been up to. In LA we are reading stories about caring for each other. We have worked our way through the first Spelling lesson. In Math we are caught up to the level of where we were at the end of last year and we have learned new things already. We are working with a new textbook and for some of the students the vocabulary is still a little difficult but we manage to find joy in the things we will learn. We do not need calculators yet. Science also brings new excitement. You may have heard of the magnifying glass that each of the students received. It’s exciting to see things up close, like the texture of your shirt. We like to see this excitement! We need to ask questions so that we feel the desire to learn science. Ask you son or daughter what we do during the music lessons; maybe you will start to see things differently. Have a great weekend with God’s blessings. IdV/MB

Thursday – Bible Quiz, Friday – Memory work: Ps 122:1

Grade 4B

We have a Bible Test on Thursday, September 15 which will be on material from 1 Samuel 1-6. The students will be given a review sheet so that they know exactly what to expect on the test. HH

Memory work: Psalm 122:1 (Due September 16th) Text: Psalm 32:1-2 (Due September 23rd)

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

Grade 5

Welcome back to school and welcome to Grade 5! We have had a good, albeit warm, first week of school. The students are settling in nicely to the school routines again. In Bible this year we will be studying Jesus’ life on this Earth. In Social Studies we are studying ancient Rome and we are enjoying seeing the connection between these two subjects. In Math we have begun our math drills with addition and in class we are exploring/reviewing decimal numbers. Just a reminder that Phys. Ed. is on Wednesdays and Fridays. Please make sure your child has their Phys. Ed. clothes with them on the appropriate days. Have a wonderful weekend and a blessed Sunday. SO/ KG

Devotions for 5A M. Annika, Tu. Jewel, W. Anjelica, Th. Melissa, Fr. Kyle

Friday: Spelling Dictation

Memory Work: Psalm 22:1; Text: Psalm 72:8

Grade 6

Both classes have made an excellent start to a new school year despite the very warm temperatures. We have made a start to our various units. In Church History we will be studying about the church during the years after Christ’s death (300-500). In literature we are studying the historical fiction novel, Number the Stars which takes place during the German occupation in 1943 in Denmark. Our topic for Science is flight. In our discussion this week our focus was on the terms engineer, constraint, science, and technology. We are looking forward to many exciting activities and a trip to the Warplane Museum. The students are encouraged to bring in seeds and leaves for next Wednesday’s activity. Ask your child about the fun game we played called scoot. May you have a blessed weekend. MdB/CV

Devotions: 6A: T-Leah   W-Luke   Th-Tristan   F-Weston

6B: M-Dylan   T-Ava   W-Kiera   Th-Lucas   F-Jordan

Memory work: Ps.104:1- Sept.16   Text-Ps.8:1-5- Sept.15

Quizzes: Vocab-Sept.15 (6A)   Sept.16 (6B)   Ch.H.-Sept.15

Grade 7A

It was a warm start to Grade 7A and the students have adapted well to the new expectations and responsibilities placed on them. In terms of evaluation, many little quests and quizzes are given so be sure to ask for and discuss your child’s result with them. This past Friday the students were asked to bring in a photo/printout of themselves; the larger the better. Please ask your child if they have done so. Next week we’ll continue with number sense, structures, New France and a leader to judge Israel. Enjoy your weekend.

Grade 7B

And we’re off! One week down and we are off to a good start. We have had most of our introduction classes and the students have been made aware of what is expected of them. I am really looking forward to a good year with a good group of students! Current Events and Devotions start next week. I do ask that you help your child as their turn comes around.

Current Events: Sept 12 – Kendra T., Sept 13 – Ryan S., Sept 14 – Abby S., Sept 15 – Tara S., Sept 16 – Quinton S.

Devotions – Sept 12 – Cameron B., Sept 13 – Reuben B., Sept 14 – Caleb D., Sept 15 – Jenna D., Sept 16 – Claire D.

Grade 8A

It was a busy start to the new 2016-2017 school year! Plans are already underway for our Soccer Tournament fundraiser and I direct you to the Jonkers or Tenhages if you can volunteer your time and energy. In class we have begun our work in earnest even though the heat and the pending arrival of Baby Joosse cause some distraction. To their credit the students have been very accommodating. Thank-you! For next week, prepare for a Spelling Quiz on Thursday and maybe a Math quiz later in the week but we will see how we finish and start next week. Remember to also spread the word about the Soup Greens fundraiser! Cheers, Mr. J

Grade 8B

It’s great to be back in the classroom again! By now we are well into the rhythm of school again. First assignments have been handed in, soccer practices have begun, and the excitement of being the oldest students in the school has also set in. We look forward to an exciting year as we work in the full awareness that Christ has Dominion over what we are doing as well. That’s all for now. kb

Here’s what’s up for next week:

Devotions: Nicklas

Monday & Thursday – soccer practice after school

Thursday – Vocab quiz – Lesson 1

Friday – MW – Psalm 103:5,7