General News
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour…, Luke 1:46b-47
A week of learning has already passed in the 2024 school year. We give thanks to God’s faithfulness through all time. We know that some families suffered loss over the Christmas Break and we pray that God will sustain them as they begin 2024 with this loss. We know that God’s sure and firm control over all things allows us to look forward that as time passes, we get closer to paradise. May God bless JCCS in the year of our Lord 2024!
We were reminded at our New Year’s Assembly that we are to cast off every weight while we run the race. With the passing of time, we are reminded of eternity and the plan that God has for us in our lives. Taking off the things that weigh us down from that goal is important. This timely reminder helped us start the new year afresh with a heavenly perspective.
We rejoice with the Elgersmas that Mrs. Elgersma could return home this week. After 5 months in the hospital, it must be wonderful! We pray that God will continue to sustain this family in the upcoming months as we know that Mrs. Elgersma’s road to recovery still has a ways to go. We pray for continued healing and patience!
I’d like to take this opportunity to remind you of the Snow Day procedures. In the event of inclement weather, we will keep you informed in the following ways. There will be a mass text sent out as soon as a Snow Day is called, we will post it on the Instagram page, and we will post it on the website.
I believe that is all for this week. We pray that God strengthens and upholds you during the coming week.
JVI
Classroom News
Kindergarten
It was wonderful to be back at school after the Christmas break! The students quickly adjusted back to the expectations and routines of school though we all are a little tired. In Bible class, we started learning about the life of Israelites living in the land of Egypt as slaves to the Pharaoh. Next week we will begin learning about the plagues that God sends on the Egyptians to show how powerful He is and how His will is always done! In math we continue to learn about numbers 0-10. The students have picked up the numbers 0-5 very well and are becoming more proficient with numbers 6-10. Well done kindergarten. Originally for next week we had planned to have Teddy Bear day but after much consideration we have decided to move this day to when it is warmer outside so that we can enjoy a teddy bear picnic outside. Here is a look at next week: Monday – SH: Autumn; Tuesday – SH: Lennon; Wednesday – Combined day, library day; Thursday – SH: Jace; Friday – SH: Hadley. Have a great weekend. JB
Grade 1
Welcome back to school! As wonderful and restful as holidays can be, it’s also good to get back into routines. The students had many stories to share with their teachers this week. It’s a blessing to share in their lives and be someone that they’re eager to see after a holiday. This week, the students learned about the Israelites as they began their conquests in Canaan. The walls of Jericho came tumbling down at the sound of mighty shouting. God is victorious!
In Social Studies, we began a unit on transportation. We learned about the modes of transportation and how people in Bible times traveled. Next week we look forward to learning about different vehicles used to travel by land or water.
Have a blessed weekend!
Grade 2
Grade 2 is happy to be back in school! We hope you all had a restful and relaxing Christmas break. The students had lots of stories and things to share about their busy holidays. This week we were able to jump right back into our routines and were able to begin this new year with a positive start. We are continuing with Jesus’ ministry in Bible class hearing stories about parables that Jesus told. In Math we wrapped up our mini unit on clocks and telling time and we are looking forward to starting with money next week. The students are continuing to enjoy our Social Studies unit on Nunavut and we hope to complete some fun art projects in the next few weeks connecting to the Arctic. Have a great weekend! MB & BV
Grade 3
Happy New Year and may the Lord continue to bless us in our daily tasks so that His Name is magnified and praised.
In our Bible stories we are hearing about Joseph and how the Lord has a plan for Him and His family. We are thankful that God keeps His covenant promises that He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Math keeps us busy with multiplication and problem solving. That’s it for now.
Words:
Psalm 135:2,3
Text: Exodus 20: 1-6
Grade 4
What a wonderful first week back in the classroom! A big welcome to Mrs. Stel and Mrs. Baartman in grade 4B. The students are getting used to routines again after what sounds like a restful Christmas break. New units are starting in many subjects. Grade 4B has started “From Anna”, and grade 4A has started “Brown Girl Dreaming”, set during the time of the Civil Rights Movement in the USA. Both classes are starting with a unit on the kings of Israel in Bible, a unit on “light and sound” in science, and a unit on multiplication in math class. The french unit on clothing will have quizzes fairly frequently to cover the vocabulary used, as well as the new grammar concepts learned – please remind your children to review them frequently! Finally, grade 4A is beginning student-lead lunchtime devotions. Their names are below in parentheses – please check that they have a song and text chosen, as well as a prayer prepared for their assigned day. We hope this is a very restful weekend as you are renewed for the second week back!
Mrs. VanAm/Mrs. Baartman/Mrs. Stel
Spelling Words: donkey, stole, anybody, beautiful, busy, hotel, hockey, anymore, coffee, weeks, money, nobody, finally, holiday
Monday: French Vocabulary Drawings DUE
Wednesday: French Quiz: Clothing Vocab #1-20
Thursday: Library Books
Friday: Spelling Test, Mission $, Memory Work (Isaiah 9: 6,7; Hymn 6:1)
4A Devotions MVP (Mon), MVDO (Tues), TVA (Wed) JT (Thurs), NS (Fri)
4B Devotions: Ezra (Tues), Taurie (Wed), Macrae (Thurs), Thomas (Fri)
Grade 5
We thank the Lord that we could return after a refreshing break and be able to take up our task here once again. Grade 5A started studying a play in French class called “L’arbre ungali” and will be working with this play over the next number of months. Grade 5B started their next Science unit about cells and is marvelling at the intricacies of God’s creation! What an amazing Creator we have!
Devotions for next week are as follows:
5A – M. Allison, Tu. Luke, W. Isaiah, Th. John, F. Samuel
5B – M. Mark, Tu. Emma, W. Evan, Th. Corban, F. Micah
Have a wonderful weekend! RK/KV
Grade 6
We have made a good start to the new year. Some reminders were necessary and some goals have been set in place for the month. In language arts we have started a new novel based on the historical events before the civil war in the States. As we read Underground to Canada, we will be learning what it was like to be a slave during those times. In science we have started to study the immune system. As we gain more information about our bodies, we will indeed see that we have been fearfully and wonderfully made. Have a blessed weekend. TB/CVA
Grade 7A
While the Break was a much-needed time of refreshment, we are thankful to be back at work. We’re thankful for work that matters as we prepare for a life of service to God and the neighbour. Be sure to ask your child if they are writing and presenting a speech or memorizing and presenting a poem. The speeches and poems are all art of the bi-annual “Public Speaking and Poetry Declamation Contest”. The class had the task of building a better energy barrier in Science. They were given 200ml of hot water and tasked with containing the thermal energy within. In History we’re learning why the Thirteen Colonies are so upset at the British Crown and what they are going to do about it. In Math we’re learning all about the attributes of quadrilaterals and polygons. God’s promise to David that he will become king of Israel has been fulfilled; what next in Bible History? Enjoy your weekend.
Grade 7B
The first week of 2024 has already come and gone. In 7B the focus has been on the Poetry and Speech contest. This week students made their decisions and began writing their speeches or internalizing their poems. No doubt next week will be full of reciting and revision as we anticipate the in-class competition on January 26th with a JCCS final on February 2nd. In History class we have emerged from the Seven Years War and now see the Revolutionary war on the horizon with Loyalists seeking refuge in British North America. For many this is significant history with familiar local names like the Nelles, Ball, Nixon, and Beamer families just to name a few. In science students had fun building a better barrier this week. Next week they will continue to investigate how energy transfers and will look at some of the effects of our energy production on the environment. Several Math tests that were returned this week still need to be signed. Please have that ready when you come back next week. We hope to have a quick quiz on Tuesday dealing with two-step equations. In Church History we have started a new unit looking at the start of the Reformation in the Swiss Confederation. We have specifically focused on the early life and work of Ulrich Zwingli and how the Lord used him for His purpose. Have a blessed weekend! On behalf of the 7B teachers, Mr. J
Grade 8
Count on some tests and quizzes this week. We have a science chapter test on Wednesday and a Church History Test Friday. We also have a math quiz Friday on our proportions/algebra from Chapter 5. Students are continuing to work on their speech and poetry recitations. We look forward to seeing the results of all our hard work on the 26th of January.
We would still love some more volunteer judges, so feel free to contact the office if you would like to be involved! Have a great weekend, RT, AL, RV