General News
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2
A blur of activity has transpired since the last time I wrote. We have been busy with a PD day that focused on Social Studies, French, and developing a policy for the use of AI in education. Of note, we are exploring a scope and sequence for Social Studies that differs from what the Ministry of Education proposes. We aim to align our curriculum with God’s redemptive history by studying the Egyptian Empire, Greek and Roman civilizations, the Medieval Period, the Renaissance, and the exploration of North America. These eras will be examined through the lens of God gathering and defending His Bride through the ages. We have only just begun this work, and it will take several years to fully implement because building an original curriculum without relying on standard textbooks takes time.
We look forward to hosting the Compass Reformed Educators Conference on Thursday and Friday of this week. The logistics and planning involved in welcoming 400 educators to Smithville have been gladly taken up by our staff. To prepare, Wednesday is set aside to get our facility ready for our guests. The conference theme is Reformed Education in a Post-Christian World. We look forward to hearing Jonathon Van Maren deliver the keynote address on this topic, as well as a devotional led by Dr. W. DenHollander the following day. Alongside these presentations, a host of workshops will explore related subjects. Our hope and prayer is that this conference strengthens and sharpens teachers in their calling to teach students in the fear of His name.
Next week brings a more regular routine. Two items of note:
- Volleyball tryouts begin on Monday (practices will run Mondays and Thursdays until the tournament on November 27th).
- Our Reformation Day Assembly will take place on Friday, October 30th, at 8:15 a.m. in the gym. All are welcome to attend.
Finally, we wish Miss Selena VandenOever a very happy birthday on Saturday, October 31st. May God continue to bless and sustain her in the year ahead.
Wishing you God’s blessing and providence this weekend and in the coming week!
JVI
Mon – Volleyball Tryouts
Tues – Gr. 3 to Westfield Heritage Village
Wed – Gr. 8 Veggie Chopping @ Gleaners
Thurs – Gr. 8 Veggies – Gym, Volleyball Tryouts
Fri – Reformation Day Assembly @ 8:15
Classroom News
Kindergarten
We were happy to share with everyone about our fun time at Fall Fest. It was great to see so many of you there! Only a one day week this week but we filled our day with a lot. We continued learning about patterns and exploring different lines. We are excited to start learning letters next week, we will be introducing some new activities! For Bible, we heard about God’s promise to Jacob in his dream. We will be wrapping up our unit on our Five Senses in Science next week with a pumpkin exploration. We hope everyone enjoys the extra days off and look forward to a more “normal” week next week. MV/DV
Grade 1
It was a short week, but we made good use of our time together! In Bible, we completed our unit on Jacob, hearing about his return to Canaan and the birth of his twelfth son. We also finished the unit with a test. Next week, we look forward to learning about Joseph and seeing God’s continued faithfulness to His people. In language arts, we are enjoying the fruit of our labours as students read short passages and stories. Our phonics lessons have also begun focusing on short vowels, starting with the letter a. In science, we have been exploring living things and discussing what makes something living.
It was wonderful to see so many students at Fallfest! We are grateful to all the parents who worked on the committee to make the day such a success.
Next week, Grade 1A will welcome Miss Kara Jonker from CCRTC as a first-year student teacher. We pray that her time at JCCS will be a blessing as she continues working toward her teaching diploma.
We hope everyone enjoys the extended break while our teachers learn and grow at the Teachers’ Convention!
Grade 2
It’s been a very busy time in grade two! We had a great time at Fall Fest and are looking forward to the extra-extra-long weekend. In Bible history, we have finished Unit 2 on Jesus’ ministry. In the next unit, we will continue looking at the work that Jesus did here on earth and will be introduced to several of the parables he used to teach the people. In science, we have finished our study of Solids and Liquids and will move on to look at Movement and Simple Machines. We are anticipating our trip to the St Catharines Museum and Welland Canal next Thursday. A letter was sent home with all the details. Wishing everyone a restful long weekend and a blessed Sunday! MB/LS/BS
Grade 3
We have had another busy week in Grade 3!
In Bible, we are continuing to learn about Abraham and God’s promises to him.
We have also been enjoying the different stories in our Classic Tales unit in CKLA.
We are looking forward to our upcoming field trip to Westfield Heritage Village on Tuesday, October 27th! Just a reminder that students are encouraged to dress up like pioneers for the day!
In Social Studies, we are wrapping up our unit on Communities in Canada and will soon be starting our new Science unit on Forces and Movement.
With the teachers busy at Teachers’ Conferences, we hope all the students enjoy their extra, extra long weekend!
Hymn 52:1
Text: Genesis 15:5-6
Please check your child’s agenda for this week’s spelling words and encourage them to practise throughout the week.
Have a wonderful and fun-filled time off!
Miss A/Miss B
Grade 4
It has been a very exciting couple of weeks, and we hope all of our students feel refreshed after this brief fall break.
As we return to our regular routine, we look forward to beginning a new Language Arts story about finding our identity in Christ through Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming. We anticipate that the book’s sensitive topics—including race, family, and inclusion—will foster meaningful discussions and a deeper appreciation for the freedoms we enjoy in Canada today.
Speaking of which, in Social Studies, we are switching gears to explore our wonderful country! Students will study the physical and political regions of Canada, memorize main lakes and rivers, learn about Canadian government, and enjoy learning through songs. We pray that God keeps this land glorious and free, and we strive to help our students grow into valuable citizens within our diverse, multicultural country.
In Art, students have received permission forms for two upcoming competitions: the MNR Fish Art Contest and the Annual Remembrance Day Literary and Poster Contest. With the teacher conference taking place this week, these extra days off provide a wonderful opportunity for students to work on their entries. The deadline to submit is the end of October.
Have a blessed time with your families, everyone!
Miss Jes / F. Reinink
Grade 5
Even though these past few weeks have been short, grade 5 has been keeping busy!
Students have had the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills in a mini soccer tournament. Now we are moving on to a new unit focused on fitness.
Excitement is building as we prepare to begin our Ancient Rome building projects sometime this week. Students will work in groups to create their projects during class time. They are welcome to bring in some materials from home to use in their creations.
Upcoming Tests:
- Wednesday: 5A Math Test
- Thursday: 5B Math Test
- Friday: Mid-Unit Bible Test for both 5A and 5B
Devotions Schedule:
5A: Addyson (M), Andrew (Tu), Caroline (W), Matthew (Th), William (F)
5B: Eliana (M), Gray (Tu), Dawn (W), Elise (Th), Owen (F)
We hope you all have a wonderful long weekend!
CDV/CL
Grade 6A
Have a great extra-long weekend!
Grade 6B
Have a great extra-long weekend!
Grade 7A
Have a great long weekend!
Grade 7B
Today we wrapped up a super short week with our bi-annual trip to the ROM. Student enjoyed a wide variety of exhibits including medieval broad swords, authentic birch bark canoes, and even a mummy! We look forward to some regularly scheduled programming next week. Students are reminded of their LA quiz on Tuesday. Have a blessed extra-long weekend. Cheers, RK and MJ
Grade 8
The shorter weeks and those weeks that are filled with lots of extracurriculars often feel like the longest. Between our theme week, Thanksgiving, and all of the PD days, it feels difficult to get any momentum going. However, I’m sure the students are enjoying all the extra time off, as they are able to enjoy the beautiful weather that God has gifted to us this fall.
Next week, we finally have a full school week, but it too will be a busy week with extra things going on. On Wednesday and Thursday, we will be working through the biggest fundraiser on our calendar, Veggie Chop! On Wednesday, we will be heading off to the Gleaners to chop up the veggies! We thank the Gleaners for the opportunity to use their equipment and facilities to make this process so much nicer and easier than it has been in the past. On Thursday, we will be processing all of the veggies into nice 1- or 2-cup packages and shipping them all over our congregations. We thank all the organizers who have put a lot of work into getting everything together, and we pray that everything will run smoothly.
In terms of regular programming, students should begin thinking about science fair projects that they will be able to do for the upcoming Science Fair. Other than that, it should be regular classwork as we keep moving through our first term.
Enjoy your extended weekend!
RT/TB