General News

Celebrate1517: Today, the focus is on Solus Christus (In Christ Alone), the only Mediator. Because Jesus Christ is the sole mediator between God and man, salvation is possible only by His death and resurrection.

Hello again everyone as we bring to an end the second week of instruction at John Calvin School. What a beautiful week it was, a bit of mid-summer weather at the end of the summer; although, it did make it quite warm in some parts of the school. May our Heavenly Father continue to bless the teaching and learning that takes place at school and at home on a daily basis, and that we may continue to be a support for one another in teaching His covenant children about His world and His Word.

We congratulate Walter and Cheryl Feenstra with the birth of their son, Lucas Harry, who is a brother to Brooke in Grade 1B and Robbie in Grade KB. All is well with mom and baby, dad 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 Lucas and the rest of their children in the fear of His Name.

Mrs. Visser, one of our Special Needs teachers, continues to struggle with some health issues. She is currently on sick leave as she waits further testing to determine the cause of her health concerns. We pray the Lord will continue to surround her, her husband and her family with His love and care during this time of uncertainty.

We extend our condolences to the family of Mr. Fred Ruggi who passed away earlier this week. May our heavenly Father comfort the family with His Word and Spirit. He was the great-grandfather to Lauren Werkman in Grade KA. The Ruggis were also long-time residents in the Smithville community and all three of their children and two grandchildren attended John Calvin School.

Mr. Hofsink is planning to attend the National Principals’ Conference on September 25, 26, 27 at Crieff Hills Christian Retreat in Puslinch, Ontario. In his absence, Mrs. Elgersma and Miss Buist will continue to take care of administrative matters.

A few items for your attention:

*The annual fall food drive for the West Lincoln Community Care Food Bank will begin next week Monday and continue until Friday, October 6. At that time, the goods will be delivered to Community Care located on Industrial Drive in Smithville. Currently, the shelves at the bank are quite empty, indicating that there is a need in this community. Baskets will be set up in different locations in the school to collect the non-perishable food items and other goods, e.g. disposable diapers, baby formula. Thank you very much in advance everyone for your consideration and participation in this act of service for the broader community.

*Last week, at the West Lincoln Fair Spelling Bee, Danya VanderVelde emerged as the top speller from amongst the participating Grades 4&5 students. Even though we were the only the school in the competition (another school dropped out the night before), JCS received $150.00 from the Bee keepers for use in the Grades 4&5 classes. Thank you West Lincoln Fair Spelling Bee organizers.

*One final reminder about pick-ups and drop-offs:

*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 parents can then proceed to pick-up their child(ren) or bring them to their classroom (more so in the case of younger children). We also thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

*A lot of students have sold a lot of chocolate bars in one week’s time; in fact, so many that we only have nine boxes left in the school to be sold. Great job students! Thank you to all who sold chocolate for your hard work in this fundraising venture.

*The soccer players and their coaches continue with their soccer practices leading up to next week Saturday’s (September 23) soccer tournament at John Calvin School and West Lincoln Leisureplex. A boy’s exhibition game against Covenant Christian School is planned for Monday afternoon, September 18, at our school beginning at 3:30. All of the tournament games for the JCS boys’ and girls’ teams will take place at Leisureplex. Here are their schedules:

BOYS                                       GIRLS

8:00 – John Calvin vs Timothy                        9:05- John Calvin vs Covenant

10:10 – DACS vs John Calvin               10:10 – ACRES vs John Calvin

12:20 – ACRES vs John Calvin             1:25 – John Calvin vs Heritage

2:30     Semi-finals

3:45     Finals

*Training continues for the annual cross country run next week Wednesday and Friday during lunch recess. Mrs. Groen and Mrs. Heemskerk are training the athletes in preparation for the annual meet scheduled for Friday, October 6.

*We are planning to hold a bus evacuation drill and review of bus expectations with all the students on Wednesday, October 4. Thank you again parents for reminding your children of the expectations regarding bus behavior. It is much appreciated.

Reminders:

*Please note that PTA forms needed to be returned today.

*Picture day is scheduled for next week Tuesday, September 19. The parents of children in KA are requested to bring their son or daughter to the Kindergarten picture taking time slot scheduled for 8:15 a.m.

*Once again, we are participating in the Scholastic Book Club. If you decide to purchase books from different flyers, you just need to write one cheque, made payable to John Calvin School, not Scholastic. Thank you. If parents do not wish for the flyers to be sent home, please let the school know and we will take your name off the list.

*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. Music lessons are conducted by Mrs. Rebecca Bosscher in the school each Tuesday and Wednesday (piano), by Mrs. Kara North in the church each Tuesday (piano and MYC), and by Miss Katherine VanAmerongen in the church each Wednesday (violin).

*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.

*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.

Enjoy what is shaping up to be a beautiful weather weekend. Have a wonderful Sunday and we’ll touch base again in a week’s time, D.V.

G. Hofsink

Classroom News

Kindergarten

The students are nicely settling into school routines and getting comfortable in the classroom. They should have taken home their first library books this week. Students may choose up to 3 books. Please help your child take good care of the books and return them next week. Books that are not finished may be renewed next week, if desired. Next Tuesday, first thing in the morning (8:15), is Picture Day! Although this is a KB Day, KA students also need to be at the gym for that time, and their parent(s) should stay with them until the photos are finished. In Bible next week we will learn about Noah and then the tower of Babel. In Math, we hope to finish our unit on sorting and classifying. Please practice the meaning of “left” and “right” with your child, as these are tricky! In Language, we will learn the letter Tt and the sight words “I”, and “red”. Our new memory work song will be Psalm 8: 1, and we will keep working on Romans 1:16-17. Thank you to those who remember to check and sign the agenda each school day, and we will do the same! FVI & NR

Grade 1

We are beginning to learn the routines of grade one and feel somewhat more comfortable with them. There are a couple of things we would like to draw to your attention. Please make sure that your children know how to tie their shoes, if they are wearing lace-ups. (There are 41 grade oners. Even with two teachers, we’d never get done on time to send them out at recess.) Every Wednesday we have library. Please make sure that the library books come out of the backpacks until the following Wednesday. The backpacks become too heavy for the children, if they must carry their books back and forth every day. We do keep some plastic spoons and forks in the classroom in case you occasionally forget to pack one with your child. Please make sure to send a fork or spoon in their lunch pail if they need one. Please also LABEL, LABEL, LABEL your child’s belongings, especially gym clothes, sweaters and jackets. They often do not recognize their own belongings once they’ve taken them off. Please review Spelling words and sight words with your children daily. We will test them weekly. The sight words are particularly important to help your student begin reading confidently. They do not need to know how to spell the sight words. They are glued in the agenda each week. We have completed the first unit in Bible and have worked through the Bible test together on Friday so that the students understand what a test will look like. Next week Tuesday is picture day and on Wednesday we hope to go to the Feenstra apple orchard. Please make sure that your child is dressed appropriately for each event. (We will probably go on a hike in the woods on Wednesday and will spend most of the day outside.) Perhaps a few parents would like to come along? Let us know.

Memory Work: Psalm 105:3 (Sept. 22) Genesis 1:1, 31A (Sept. 29)

Word Wall Words: in, it, is, that, you

Sight Words: funny, surprise, Jack, Jill, and, Sandy, oh, come, here

Grade 2

Grade 2 has been working hard again this week getting into routines and learning new exciting things. In Science, we have been learning about the different bones in the body. The students were fascinated to learn that the femur is four times stronger than concrete. Did you know that the smallest bone in your body is in your ear? The students were challenged to measure their height first thing in the morning, late in the afternoon and once again before bed time. Most students predicted that they would see growth. Please help your child check their height throughout the day this weekend to see what really happens! In Math class we will begin testing the speed and accuracy of the Math doubles facts. Students are excited to show what they’ve learned. On Thursday we will have a Bible test. The test will cover stories beginning with the visit of the wise men through the temptation of Jesus. Duotangs will be sent home on Wednesday. Have a great weekend! RG & JA

Spelling: are, like, colour, baby, make Memory Work: Psalm 119:40; Books of the New Testament

Grade 3

This past week, we had Mrs. Gail McKinnell in our classroom to tell us more about farming in Pioneer times. The children were very interested in what she had to show as well. Thank you, Mrs. McKinnell. In LA we are reading the novel “Sarah Plain and Tall”. The story is set in Pioneer times. With this story we are making a lap book. Ask your child about it; it is a lot of fun. Thank you parents for practising memory work and spelling words with your child every day. To build responsibility, we will send a Math drill home for homework every Monday. This is to be done that same day and brought back to school the next day. Thank you for watching over this as well. Next week, we will have our first Bible test. We will send the notes home Monday after we have reviewed the lessons with the class. We wish you a blessed weekend. MP/JB

Ps. 17:3, Text: the books of the OT

Spelling words: have, into, off, people, said.

P.E. every Monday and Thursday

Grade 4A

We continue studying 1 Samuel in Bible. The students did very well on their Bible tests last week. Thank you also for helping your child go over the information/ making sure they studied 🙂 We have started in Science on Habitats. With that, we will be going to St. John’s on Wednesday September 20th to study the habitat there. We would love around 6 volunteers for both grade 4 classes to go with us. We will be leaving the school at 11:45 and will be back by 2:15.   Could you write a note in your child’s agenda if you can come?

Spelling Lesson 3: late, nails, paint, safe, saying, takes, wait, were, guns, past, hate, stayed, crayon, holes.

Memory Work: Psalm 66:1 (Sept. 22) Hymn 25:1 (Sept. 29) Text: Psalm 32:1-2 (Sept. 29)

Grade 5A

Hello again from Grade 5. After this second week of we are settling into our routines quite nicely. In Bible we will be learning about the life of our Saviour while He lived on this Earth. In Social Studies we are studying Ancient Rome which ties in beautifully with our Bible classes as this helps us to understand what the world was like when Jesus walked this Earth. We will be having a French Quiz on Wednesday on all review words and gestures. In Art the students have learned about an artist named Roy Lichtenstein and how he used Ben Day dots to create his Art. We are following in his footsteps and are excited to see our Art completed. This coming week we will begin with student led devotions at lunch. Please make sure to help your child and sign their devotion sheet (its in their agendas) when its their turn. Have a wonderful, last of the summer, weekend and a blessed Sunday. SO/KVL

Memory Work: Ps 22:1; Text: Practicing the books of the Bible

Wednesday: French Quiz

Devotions: 5A – M. Owen, Tu. Thomas, W. Violet, Th. Madelyn,Fr. Carter

5B – M. Noah, Tu. Beth, W. Wesley, Th. Kathryn, Fr. Janaye

Grade 6

We have already come to the end of the second week of school! Grade 6 students have settled into their new classes and routines nicely. In Church History we have been looking at the errors that made their way into the church during the Middle Ages. We have also been discussing how God, through all these dark times, kept His people close to Him and prepared the way for the Reformation. We have also been discussing the Five Pillars of the Reformation, which we will be looking at each month in more depth. In Literature we have been discussing the theme of perspective and how it is a learning experience to view something from someone else’s perspective and how we, as Christians, perceive the world and others around us. In Science we have been busy with our flight unit. We discussed the difference between gliding and actual flying, and looked at some animals that glide rather than fly, even though “flying” is in their name. We also watched some videos looking at the wings of hummingbirds, dragonflies, and large birds. It is so wonderful to be filled with such awe when we look at the way the Lord has created the world around us! We hope that you have a wonderful weekend and a blessed Sunday! MDB/CV

Grade 6A Devotions: T. Arie   W. Eli   Th. Alayna   F. Carter

Grade 6B Devotions: M. Jordan   T. Justin   W. Julia   Th. Leah   F.Levi

Memory Work Text: Psalm 8:6-9 (September 28)

Memory Work Song: Psalm 148:1 (September 19)

Picture Day: September 19

Science Quiz: September 21

Grade 7A

Week Two! Be sure to ask your young adult how it went. It was a week of exponents, scientific notation and order of operations in math. We planned and designed the posters and flyers for the Thanksgiving Food Drive for West Lincoln Community Care; we plan to visit their facility in the near future as well. Why did the LORD allow Israel to have a king, “like all the other nations”? We’ll find out next week. As our Independent Study proceeds, the researchers have had their area of study approved, now they will be required to read a book about the topic. Check in with your child and find out what book they’re planning to read…and where they can find it. Enjoy your weekend.

Grade 7B

The 1st full week of school has flew by in Grade 7B. We have started our Bible History Unit on how the Israelites rejected their heavenly King by asking for an earthly king. We also will be wrapping up our journal reviews that we began at the beginning of the year and we will be moving on to public speaking. The students will be coming home with the permission forms for the Hep B shot coming on October 11th. Please have them returned by next Wednesday. Devotions – Luke A. Have a great weekend!!

Grade 8

As we wrap up the second week here in 8 we find ourselves already in full swing. Tournament practices have begun, units are well underway, and the students have settled in. A big reminder regarding the upcoming Soup Green fundraiser and the Soccer Tournament Concession stand fundraiser. Both are major initiatives to help us raise enough monies for the Ottawa trip. Reach out to JoAnne DeBoer or Carrie DeVries if you can help out. Have a blessed weekend. Cheers, Mr. J