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General News

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Good Friday morning from the school as we bring another week of learning and teaching to a close; what a beautiful weather week it was. Aside from a bit of rain on Saturday morning, the Thanksgiving weekend weather is shaping up to be rather nice as well, albeit a bit cool.    

                Last week Saturday, Mr. R. VanAndel (husband to our Grade 6A teacher) had a heart attack.  They put in three stents while he was at the Hamilton General and he is now recovering at home.  We thank the Lord for sparing his life and we pray for His blessing on Mr. VanAndel’s recuperation.  

                Our thoughts and prayers are with the E. Dethan family as the young church in Timor is faced with much persecution.  We pray that they may stand firm in their faith during this challenging time, especially in the church at Fatukusi.  

                We congratulate Austin and Denise Schulenberg with the birth of their son, Roman George (gotta like the second name).  He is a brother for Aiden (KB).  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 on us bestowed.  Psalm 127:3, BoP).  May the Lord provide Austin and Denise with all they need as they raise their children in the fear of His Name. 

You are welcome to join us for the Thanksgiving Assembly this afternoon beginning at 1:45 in the school gym.  Mrs. Gansekoele and Mrs. Tesfaye will be leading the assembly.  Mr. P. Wierenga from Niagara Christian Gleaners is our guest speaker.  We will be presenting the organization with a cheque for $1000.00 from the remaining Mission money that was collected in 2018-2019.  What follows is a poem that was shared at staff devotions on Monday morning by one of the teachers.

Thank You, God, for Everything by Helen Steiner Rice

Thank You, God, for everything

the big things and the small,

For “every good gift comes from God’

the giver of them all

And all too often we accept

without any thanks or praise

The gifts God sends as blessings

each day in many ways,

And so at this THANKSGIVING TIME

we offer up a prayer

To thank you, God, for giving us

a lot more than our share.

First, thank you for the little things

that often come our way,

The things we take for granted

but don’t mention when we pray,

The unexpected  courtesy,

the thoughtful, kindly deed,

A hand reached out to help us

in the time of sudden need…

Oh, make us more aware, dear God

of little daily graces

That come to us with ‘sweet surprise’

from never-dreamed-of places.

Then, thank you for the “MIRACLES’

we are much too blind to see

And give us new awareness

of our  many gifts from Thee,

And help us to remember

that the KEY to LIFE and LIVING

Is to make each prayer a PRAYER of THANKS

and every day THANKSGIVING.

A few items for your attention:

*Today, the goods collected from our food drive were brought to West Lincoln Community Care by the Grade 7 students, their teachers and some volunteer drivers.  May our Heavenly Father continue to bless the work that is being done to provide for the needy in West Lincoln and the surrounding communities.   Thanks again everyone for your participation in this act of service for the broader community.  

*Much of the chocolate bar money is in; however, there is still more out there that needs to be returned, approximately 13 boxes worth which translates into $1250.  Let’s strive to get that in ASAP.  Again, thank you to all the children in Grades 4-8 who sold chocolate for your hard work in this fundraising venture for your field/class trips.

*This week the Grade 8 students, their teachers and a whole host of parents and grandparents chopped, mixed and filled over 5400 bags of vegetables for soups and casseroles.  They also delivered 33 cases of red pepper jelly. We thank Niagara Christian Gleaners for allowing us the use of their facilities on Wednesday afternoon. What a difference maker!  A special thank to Mrs. Joanne DeBoer and Mrs. Klarie VandenOever for all their work in coordinating this event.

*Yesterday the cross country athletes from Grades 5&6 participated in the inaugural Golden Horseshoe Invitational Cross Country meet at Southward Community Park in Grimsby.  The boys’ team finished in second place in the junior division.  Well done! The girls’ team also raced well but didn’t quite make the top five. Thank you Mrs. Kelly and Mrs. Heemskerk for training the athletes for the meet.

*Today, the Grades 7&8 cross country team is running at Dundas Valley Conservation Area in the annual Guido de Bres Christian High School invitational elementary schools’ meet.  At the time of writing, we do not know the final results but we do know that the runners gave their best effort and, hopefully, most if not all of them were able to run their personal best for the 3.2 kilometer course.  Thanks again Mrs. J. Heemskerk and Mrs. R. Kelly for training the athletes for this year’s run.  

*Included with today’s Chronicle is the fall edition of The Link, the LCRSS (League of Canadian Reformed School Societies) newsletter.

*Apple Theme Week: We are planning our first theme week from October 15-18. We are looking forward to a fun-filled week learning more about this popular fruit. Here is what we are planning for each day of the week.

Tuesday:  Orchard Day- We are planning a whole school visit to Feenstra Orchards (except for Grade 1 who has already gone).

Wednesday:  Dress-up in the colours of your favourite apple day

Thursday: Apple Food Day; lunch recess activity- bobbing for apples

Friday:  In-class apple activities.  It will be a 2/3 day because of the Community Appreciation pig roast.

General: Parents and grandparents are invited to read an apple story to the children at any time during the week; just let the classroom teacher know when you wish to do so.  Parents, if you have any apple paraphernalia that we can borrow for the week that would be great.  Please drop it off at the school anytime.

A final email about the Community Appreciation Barbecue:  Good afternoon members of the supporting community of John Calvin School.  The staff and school board are planning a community appreciation barbecue/pig roast for Friday, October 18.  Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6:30.  We hope to wrap up the evening around 9:00.  The menu will feature roast pork, four different salads (potato, macaroni, Caesar, southwest), buns and butter, dessert, and various beverages including coffee, tea, and water.  Please bring your lawn chair(s).  In the event of rain, we will be gathering in the gymnasium for dinner.  Students will be dismissed at 12:00 to allow for the staff to get things ready for the barbecue. In order for us to gauge how many people to expect at the event, we would like you to email the school, office@ johncalvinschool.com, if you are planning to attend. Please include the number of persons. The barbecue/pig roast is for adults only as well as teens that support the school. Thank you for your continuing support.                                Staff and board of JCS

Reminders:

*Thanksgiving Day on Monday, October 14.  Once again, there is no PD Day on Tuesday, October 15.  It will be a regular day of classes; well, maybe not so regular as we are planning a whole school visit to Feenstra Orchards.

*Due date for News and Views contributions is Tues., Oct. 15.

*The due date for picture orders is past.  Retakes are scheduled for November 6.

*Friday, October 18 is a 2/3 day because of the Community Appreciation barbecue.  The buses will be taking the children home at 12:10.

*The Calvin Chronicle will not publish the week of October 21st because of the short week due to the two-day Teachers’ Convention.

*Mini-concert by the Greijdanus School Choir on Tuesday morning, October 22 beginning at 8:15 in the school gym.

*The annual ANCHOR WORK DAY is coming up in two week’s time.  The usual information about the event was sent home with your son or daughter today.  The confirmation slip needs to be returned on or by Monday, October 21.  It is good for the students in Grades 7&8 to be involved in this community service for one of our Reformed institutions. 

                Enjoy the long weekend everyone and have a blessed Sunday and Thanksgiving.  The Lord willing, we will touch base again in a week’s time.         G. Hofsink

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Classroom News

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Kindergarten

We had a great week in kindergarten!  Both kindergarten classes went to Bry-Anne Pumpkin patch. The weather was fantastic on each day.  We learned all about pumpkins and even were able to take our own pumpkin home! Thanks so much to the parent volunteers who were willing to drive for the trip. We couldn’t have done it without you. If you want to see some pictures of our adventures parents, please check out SeeSaw if you haven’t already!  Miss VanLuik and I have uploaded many pictures!  We are continuing to learn all about patterns in math.  Perhaps you can ask your child to show you the different kinds of patterns that they have learned.  In Bible we learned about how we need to trust God even when we don’t understand what is happening.  He is always in control and He will guide our paths in His way.  Have a great week and enjoy Thanksgiving with family and friends!

Grade 1

This week in Grade 1 we were busy finishing up units in various subjects. In Phonics we finished our unit on consonant sounds and will begin with short vowels. We hope to have a test in Phonics and in Bible on Tuesday. The Bible papers should have been sent home with your child for review. We have finished our unit in Math with a test. In our next unit we will begin working with addition and subtraction. We continue to learn more about our senses in science. This week we watched a movie about Helen Keller and learned about the difficulties Helen faced with being blind and deaf. Please continue to practice spelling and sight words at home. We have decided to take two weeks for spelling, sight words, and memory work because the next two weeks are both short weeks. Thank you for all the generous donations for the food drive. Have a great Thanksgiving long weekend.

Memory work: Psalm 81:2, sons of Jacob (Wed. Oct. 23)

Spelling: by, had, one, word, or (Wed. Oct. 23)

Grade 2

This week we completed our Science unit on Investigating Bones and Muscles. The tests were quite well done! It’s almost disappointing to come to the end of this unit as we have all enjoyed it so much! However,  we can look forward to beginning a new unit on Health and Safety. We’ll be learning about the food groups, and how to take care of the amazing bodies that God has given us.  We enjoyed singing one of our favourite songs at the assembly for all those in attendance. We’re also quite thankful we could hear about the wonderful work that is being done at the Niagara Christian Gleaners.

Next week we will be enjoying many apple-related activities.  If you would like to read an apple book to one of our classes,  please jot a note on the agenda so we can make arrangements! Have a blessed Thanksgiving! It sounds like there are many wonderful activities being planned. Enjoy! BV/RG

Memory work: Hymn 41:1; Text: Isaiah 9:2

Spelling: Review; please check the agenda for the list

Grade 3

Another busy week has gone by. The children get more and more familiar with routines in class and are learning to take on some responsibilities. The children received their Church History quiz back; ask your child how he/she did. We have now turned to the stories about Abram. God is so gracious; he called Abram to bring him to the promised land. In Art, we worked with positive and negative space. In LA, we are spending time reading about a folk tale and a fairy tale. Next week we hope to spend some time reading about apples and stories surrounding this topic. Are any grandparents willing to come in and read about apples or a story about apples? Jot it in your child’s agenda. We look forward to these occasions. Remember to practise memory work and spelling words on a daily basis; this will be of great help. Happy Thanksgiving to all. May we all see the blessings bestowed on us each and every day!

Memory work: Ps. 8: 4-5; Text: Genesis 12:1-3 (two weeks)

Spelling words: schools, to, too, two, was

Gym – Tuesday/Friday, Library – Thursday, Mission $ – Friday

Grade 4

We look forward to apple week and the extra activities and excitement that comes along with that! A few other things to note:

Thursday, October 17: Church History quiz about “The Household of Faith”. Friday, October 18: Unit 2 Math Quiz about addition.

Spelling Words: their, were, wait, holes, takes, there, autumn, such, hear, watch, cried, apple (Gr. 4B extra words: barrier, boost)

Memory Work: Song: Hymn 76:3/Text: Psalm 100:1-3

Next Memory Work: Song: Hymn 60:1,4

May everyone have a blessed Thanksgiving weekend

Grade 5

This past week has been an exciting one! The cross country run has come and gone with many of our class members participating. Congratulations to all the runners! You pushed yourselves very hard during training sessions and during the race itself.  Well done! To extend our learning about Ancient Rome’s architecture our classes are now beginning to construct models of several famous Roman structures.  Please remember to take in the supplies you need in order to complete this project!  We would also like to remind the students to please bring their contributions for our class Winterfest basket. We wish you all a blessed weekend – an opportunity to worship on Sunday and time to reflect on God’s blessings! RK/KVL

Devotions for next week for Grade 5A: Tu. Madison, W. Morgan L., Th. Sydney, F. Aaron.  And for Grade 5B: Tu. Olivia, W. Russell, Th. Logan, F. Taiya.

Grade 6

About half the students were able to participate in the cross country meet this past Thursday. It was a great day! Everyone worked hard and did well! Great work Grade 6! We will be starting our novel study “Number the Stars” in the upcoming week as we wrapped up our unit “My Floor is Somebody Else’s Ceiling” in World of Literature this past Wednesday. Next week is apple week! Please remember to wear something apple colored on Wednesday and bring in apple food on Thursday. As you all know, Winterfest is coming up quickly. The grade 6 classes are in charge of the soup basket. If you could send your child with some soup related items or a toonie that would be greatly appreciated! We hope you have a fun and relaxing Thanksgiving weekend! AF/CV

Grade 7A

We’ve had a few days this past week that were a bit different. On Wednesday, we headed out to the shores of Lake Erie for our Watershed Project. After learning about and designing our own watersheds, we spent the day on the beach following our blue prints and constructing our river basins. After construction we tested them and noted the erosion and deposition. A great day learning outside the classroom with great weather and company. On Friday while our peers were at the Cross Country race, we visited West Lincoln Community Care with our JCS food drive donations. While there, we toured the facility on Industrial Road and had an opportunity to volunteer. Thanks to those who came along. In Math we’re working with fractions and decimals while in Bible History we’re closing in on the end of Saul’s life and the beginning of David’s reign. In Science we’ll learn about structural efficiency with beetles and weightlifters. Enjoy your long weekend.   

Grade 7B

In Bible History, we are coming to the end of Saul’s reign, and we will soon begin our first Church History unit on Martin Luther. In Math, we are looking at fractions and decimals. In History, we begin our next chapter on Everyday Life in New France next week. After a fun day at the Wainfleet Public Access beach building watersheds, we will be beginning our new chapter on landforms in Geography. Devotions – Dane G. Memory Work – Ps. 3:1. Have a blessed Thanksgiving weekend.

Grade 8A

It was a whirlwind of a week for us in Gr. 8! On Wednesday we were privileged to use the Gleaners facilities for the processing of our Soup Green Vegetables. Then on Thursday we were filling out orders for most of the day! Wow what a huge success over 5500 cups of vegetables processed, bagged, and sold! We were blessed to have a great overabundance. We have put then in $20 value bags. Know someone that didn’t order? Maybe someone who might want more? Let us know! We are motivated to move them! On Friday, while some left for early vacation, others for the annual cross-country meet, the rest baked and delivered our baking to the Gleaners to help say thanks! We were able to have coffee and mingle with the volunteers. What a rich blessing that facility is for the local community and beyond! Have a blessed long Thanksgiving weekend! Cheers, Mr. J

Grade 8B

What a week we’ve had!  Veggies, veggies and more veggies!  It was amazing to be able to clean and chop veggies at Niagara Gleaners. What a beautiful facility and very helpful people.  Thanks to all of the parent and grandparent helpers.  We had a great day packaging veggies on Thursday and had such a good yield that we had lots of bags of veggies left (available for sale) AND we were able to donate some of our chopped veggies back to the Gleaners. All of this was very well organized and overseen by Mrs. JoAnne deBoer and Mrs. Klarie VandenOever.  Thank-you very much!  Science tests will have been returned this week.  Please ask your child to show you the result.  Many did very well.  We will be continuing our study of the early part of Christ’s ministry in the coming week.