General News
It was during this week, 400 years ago, that the Synod of Dort was called by the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands. The Synod of Dort was an international Synod held in Dordrecht in 1618–1619 to settle a divisive controversy initiated by the rise of Arminianism. The first meeting took place on November 13, 1618 and the final meeting, the 154th, took place on May 9, 1619. The Canons of Dort and the Church Order of the Reformed Churches were written and adopted at the Synod of Dort. The Canadian Reformed Churches have revised the Church Order to reflect changed circumstances, and to incorporate minor improvements. Fundamentally, the revised Church Order follows the principles and structure of the Church Order of Dort. (Book of Praise, p. 647)
Greetings readership on this snowy morning as we wrap-up another week of learning and teaching at JCS. We thank the Lord for His blessing and guidance on our work throughout the past week. It was good to get together as teachers and parents on Tuesday and Thursday evenings to discuss the progress of students at the mid-point of the first semester. It was good to speak about matters that may help us to teach your son or daughter more effectively and for you, as parents, to support the teachers on the home front. Please feel free to touch base with your child(ren)’s teacher any time should you have a question or concern about their progress. Teachers’ emails are published every other month on the back of the front page of the News and Views. May our Heavenly Father continue to bless this important communication between home and school as together we instruct His covenant children in the fear of His Name. We thank the Lord for His many blessings during the first half of semester one and we pray that He will continue to provide for the needs of the students, staff, and parents for the remainder of the term.
Last week Saturday dawned cold but clear and stayed that way for a good part of the day before the clouds took over. Thankfully there was no rain. Once again the school was a bustle of activity with many hundreds of people coming to participate in the event, whether it was eating breakfast or lunch (or both), purchasing flowers, produce or products from the many different rooms, bidding on items at the silent auction, playing laser tag, or just enjoying fellowship with fellow Winterfest folk. The parking lot was filled to capacity so people had to park along Station Street and Hornak Road and make use of the Turkstra Lumber parking lot. The school was given the green light from the Winterfest committee to share with the community that $43,138.00 was raised for the school; not quite a record but pretty close. Amazing! We humbly thank the Lord for this wonderful blessing. Thank you to everyone for participating in this event and making it such a big success. We especially thank the committee members for the many hours they put into making Winterfest the success that it was. We also thank the volunteers who helped out during the day in various capacities. Once again the school program will benefit greatly and with much thankfulness.
We congratulate Dave and Brooke Baartman with the birth of their son, Lucas Elliott. He is a brother to Evan in Grade KA. All is well with mom and son 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 onus bestowed.” Psalm 127:3, BoP). May the Lord provide Dave and Brooke with all they need as they raise their children in the fear of His Name.
A few items for your attention:
*There is still some outstanding chocolate bar money (12 boxes x $90.00) that needs to come in. Please get the money in as soon as possible.
*I believe that pretty much all the money from the Anchor Work Days has been brought in. With much thankfulness we can report that $3368.00 was raised in support of the Anchor Association. Excellent job all participating students! We extend a big thank you to all those in our community who “hired” the students to work for them.
*Three weeks of practicum are completed for Mrs. Folkerts, Miss Lof, and Miss VanEerde. We trust that their practice teaching sessions at John Calvin School were a positive and beneficial experience. We wish the ladies all the best and the Lord’s blessing as they return to the CCRTC for regular instruction and preparation for exams.
*Volleyball practices continue after school every Monday and Thursday for the next couple of weeks leading up to the tournament which is hosted by Guido De Bres Christian high school on Friday, November 30 at the Arcelor-Mittal Dofasco Center in Stoney Creek. We are planning to host an exhibition mini-tournament with Bellstone Christian School on Monday afternoon, November 19 beginning at 2:30.
*The second skating session at the Smithville arena is scheduled for Wednesday, November 21. Grade 5 will skate from 12:15-1:15 and Grades KB and 1B will skate from 1:15-2:15. In the interest of safety and concussion prevention, students in Grades K-3 must wear helmets when on the ice. They can be either hockey helmets or bicycle helmets. Students in Grades 4-8 are encouraged to wear them. Those playing hockey must wear them.
*Next week Friday, November 23 is a PD Day for both John Calvin School and Guido de Bres Christian high school. Students can enjoy a long weekend while the staff of JCS will be busy with professional development coming out of the workshops they attended at the Teachers Convention.
Reminders:
*Please continue to collect tabs for cans for Jude VanVeen so he and his family can get a wheelchair for his sister Anna.
*Grade 3A is scheduled to visit Kilean Lodge on Thursday, November 22.
*Grade 7A is scheduled to visit Beacon Home on Monday, November 26.
*Grade 3A is scheduled to visit Anchor Home on Wednesday, November 28.
*Grade KA is scheduled to visit Shalom Manor on Friday, November 30.
*PLEASE NOTE: The Fall Membership meeting has been re-scheduled to Wednesday, November 28. The reason for the change in date is that this will now allow parents from our community to attend the parent evening about Mental Health that is being held at Guido De Bres high school on Wednesday, November 21. This event precedes the student Mental Health conference on Thursday, November 22.
*The third skating session at the Smithville arena is scheduled for Wednesday, November 28. Grade 2 will skate from 12:15-1:15 and Grades KA and 1A will skate from 1:15-2:15.
Enjoy your weekend and day of worship, and we’ll be in touch in about a week’s time, D.V. G. Hofsink
Classroom News
Grade 1
Everyone had a great time at the Winterfest. Thanks to the Winterfest committee for all their hard work. It was good to meet with many of the parents of our students this week. Thanks for your support and encouraging words. On Tuesday we will be finished our Bible unit and a test will follow on Wednesday. Check your child’s bag for the notes. On Thursday we will have a Math test to wrap up Chapter 3. Grade 1B has skating on Wed. Nov. 21 from 1:15 – 2:15. All students are required to wear a helmet in order to get on the ice. If you would like to join us to help tie skates as well as to skate with your child, please jot a note in the agenda and meet us at the arena around 1. Thanks for your help in this. Have a blessed Sunday.
Hymn 66:1; Isaiah 9:2 – for Thursday, Nov. 22
Spelling Words: can, said, we, when, your
Grade 2
Thank you for coming to the interviews this past week. It is so good to get together and discuss matters pertaining to the progress of the students. We really appreciate all the feedback and support! This week we’ve been quite busy in our Science lessons learning about different ways we need to take care of the bodies God has given us. After learning about making wise choices with food, one student wrote in his notes, “My Grandma needs to stop buying me cookies”. It’s fun to see how excited they get about the topic! Have a blessed weekend! BB/RG
Memory work: Hymn 1
Spelling words: shook, about, once, goes, many
Grade 3
It was good to meet with the parents this past week. Thank you for coming out and talking about the well-being of your child. Thank you also to Miss D. VanEerde, for teaching in Grade 3A. We continue to pray God will give you what you need to finish this last school year at the teachers college. Communion of Saints is our unit in Church History. Ask us all about what we can do for others who are in need. Thank you Mr. B. Poort (I know him quite well 🙂 for coming in and talking about the beautiful task of being an elder in the Church. In Math, subtraction regrouping keeps us on our toes as we do each step carefully. Thank you for practising spelling and times tables diligently! Congratulations to Kayden and his family with the birth of a healthy baby girl. What a great gift from God. Have a wonderful weekend and a blessed Sunday. MP/JB
Memory work: Ps. 15:1; Text: Prov. 3: 9, 10 (two weeks)
Spelling words: their, there, they’re (know when to use these three words), went, when
Monday and Thursday: PE, Tuesday: Library, Friday: Mission $
Grade 4
It was nice to meet with all of you at the parent-teacher interviews over the past week. We look forward to our field trip on Thursday, November 22. We hope to visit the Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers’ College, the Canadian Reformed Seminary, and Ebenezer Villa in Hamilton. This all day trip is in connection to our previous Church History unit. We do not need any parent volunteers. We hope to continue with the rest of the week as normal. Have a restful weekend! HL/YH
Spelling: garbage, became, jail, beside, orange, plane, job, broken, change, drove, jungle, where, cage, across, Grade 4B: resource, predicament, perplexed, unruly.
Memory Work: Nov. 21 (Wednesday): Psalm 60:1/Nov. 30: Psalm 5:1/Nov. 30: John 1: 1-4
Grade 5
As another week wraps up in Grade 5 we can look back and see how much work we have accomplished! Next week we hope to have a short recorder quiz on Hot Cross Buns so it would be beneficial to practice at home. Sorry, parents! 🙂 As part of our Nutrition Unit, we ask that students write down all they eat and drink on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday on a chart provided. We will be using this sheet in class, so please don’t forget it! Thank you for your help with this, moms and dads! Devotions for the week are as follows: 5A M. Jude, Tu. Vanessa, W. William, Th. Rebekah. 5B M. Declan, Tu. Kaden, W. Tabitha, Th. Nate. We wish you all a blessed weekend! RK/KV
Grade 6
The students enjoyed their skating outing. Thanks to Miss Linde and Mrs. VanDam for accompanying the boys in playing hockey. We learned how God made the covenant with Abram by letting him see a flaming torch and smoking pot pass through the path of animals. Do you know how much land Abram received? Ask the students. It was beneficial to discuss your child’s progress in school thus far. Let us continue to work together in teaching God’s covenant children encouraging each other. Yes, indeed, not only students, but also teachers and parents need to hear these words of encouragement. Please feel free to contact us any time with your concerns. Have a blessed weekend. IdV/CVA
Grade 7A
After three weeks with us, we bid adieu to Mrs. A. Folkerts as she returns to her studies at C.C.R.T.C. We enjoyed the change and wish the best in her final year. We move on in History to the Seven Years War in North America, or as the Americans call it, the French Indian Wars, or as Europeans call it, the War of the Austrian Succession. We’ll learn how New France falls to the British. In Independent Study the students have been tasked with finding a documentary about their topic; as parents you’ll be asked to approve the documentary for your child’s viewing. After wrapping up our Lex Luther unit in Church History we critically enjoyed the movie, “Luther”. Next we’ll switch to Bible History and the king after God’s own heart. Special thanks to Mrs. J. Deboer who mixed batches of clay for us to use in Art as we made masks showing formal balance. Enjoy your weekend.
Grade 8A
It was a pleasure to sit down and conference with the 8A parents this week. In class it was also a busy week working on integers and exponents in math. In History we continued to plug away at our colony project, while in Bible we discussed the temptation of Adam and Eve and compared it to the temptation of Christ. Have a blessed weekend. Cheers, Mr. J
Grade 8B
Thank-you to the parents for meeting with us on Tuesday and Thursday. It was good to talk about the progress of the students. Geography tests were returned this week. Ask your child to show you the results. Overall, it was very well done. Not all of the students are very diligent about writing in their agendas. Perhaps some encouragement from parents would help. We hope to write a mid-unit Math quiz on Tuesday.
Devotions: Natasha, Aidan, Lucas, Clarissa, Elyse
Memory Work: Hymn 69:3 Joel 2:28-3:3 (Thursday)
