General News
“Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” Eph 6:11
We have completed the first week of learning in the year of our Lord 2026. The beginning of a new year invites thoughtful reflection, not only on where we have been, but on how we are called to live and learn.
What does this moment demand of us as educators and learners? How do we intentionally engage God’s creation and faithfully develop the talents entrusted to us? In what ways does education form us as citizens of God’s kingdom, shaping not only what we know, but how we serve? How might the disciplined use of our gifts bring glory to God and genuine blessing to our neighbours?
God has given us much. Let us steward these gifts with purpose, humility, and excellence. As we continue our learning in 2026, may we be marked by curiosity, gratitude, and a renewed sense of awe and wonder, committed to growing in wisdom for the good of others and the glory of God
There is a great deal of excitement building behind the scenes as several projects begin to take shape. Our grade 7 and 8 students are currently working hard to prepare for the upcoming speech contest, while the initial stages of the Geography Challenge are also underway. Thanks to the diligent efforts of Mr. Reinink, a giant watershed map has been delivered to the school and will soon cover a large section of the gym floor, offering students a fascinating new perspective on the world around them. Additionally, students are already honing their logic and strategy for the chess tournament in April, and our hockey team is busy on the ice practicing for their upcoming tournaments. From language and geography to logic and sport, the year is off to a vibrant start—not to mention the preliminary preparations for our school concert, which is always a highlight of the season.
We pray that God will continue to richly bless and provide for our school community throughout 2026!
JVI
Wed – Skating Gr 3@ 12:15, Gr. 5 @1:15
Classroom News
Kindergarten
Welcome back and Happy New Year! We hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas break with family and loved ones. All of the children were happy to see their friends and teachers again and had lots of stories to share. The students were excited to continue learning new letters this week and had to pay close attention to the different sounds “f” and “v” make. We will be learning about Moses for the next few weeks during Bible. We hope to start up our new Science unit next week, on Animals. A reminder to send in extra clothing for your child if you haven’t already. That’s it for now. Have a great weekend! MV/DV
Grade 1
It was good to return to school after the Christmas holidays. We hope that all our students and their families enjoyed this special time away from routines as they celebrated the birth of Christ.
We jumped right back into our Bible program and continued to learn about the Israelites wandering in the wilderness. We heard about the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and it was also sad to learn about Moses not honoring God when he was instructed to speak to the rock, and the resulting punishment. Next week, we will begin learning about the crossing of the Jordan as the people of Israel finally enter the Promised Land.
We have completed our social studies unit on “Transportation” and are looking forward to beginning a new science unit focused on investigating seasonal changes.
We also had a great time skating again on Wednesday. Thank you to the parents who came and helped tie skates! We have one skating session left, and we plan to go without our Grade 7 buddies. They have helped us so much that the students are ready for some extra independence. We truly appreciated their willing hands and expertise.
That’s all for this week! 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. The students continue 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 weather and skies in the Arctic. Please remember extra clothing for your child during this wet week. Have a great weekend!
Grade 3
Happy New Year! The year of our Lord, 2026! Another year closer to His return.
Come LORD Jesus, Maranatha!
We continued to work on multiplication and arrays. Ask your child to make an array for you. We also began a new unit on living and working in Ontario. What are the ten provinces and three territories?
It’s been a wet start to the new year. We would appreciate it if students brought in extra socks and mitts.
Grade three is going skating on Wednesday from 12:15-1:15. Students must wear helmets for safety reasons. Feel free to join us!!!!
Thank you.
Psalm 139:13
Text: Exodus 20:1-6
Please check your child’s agenda for the spelling words.
Grade 4
Happy New Year to parents and students alike. As much as the holidays were nice and well needed, it has been good to get back into the routine of school again. On Monday JCCS welcomed Rev. den Hollander who led an assembly that taught the students and teachers alike about the sword of the Spirit. Perhaps parents you could ask your child why Rev den Hollander had a sword in his mouth? Both Grade 4 classes have started some new units. In Bible we have started learning about the kings of Israel. ln science we have started to learn about light and sound. In math we have started a focused chapter on multiplication. Parents, it would be helpful if you could practice multiplication facts at home with your child to support accuracy and speed. Hope you all have a great week. FR/JB
Grade 5
We hope you all had an enjoyable and refreshing break. We are thankful to have been able to begin our time back at school with an assembly, where Rev. den Hollander reminded us about what the sword of the Spirit is and how we are to use it. May our words always reflect God’s Word and His love! We are also thankful that Mrs. Jeanette deBoer could return to teaching on Wednesday! We thank Mrs. Maria Deboer for all the work she did as she capably stepped in while Mrs. deBoer was gone. Grade 5A has a grammar test on Wednesday. They have begun Unit 5 in math, where they will be dividing with 2-digit divisors. The students did very well on their Unit 4 tests! We will be going skating for the second time on Wednesday (at 1:15). Please remember to bring a helmet, particularly if playing hockey. Parents are welcome. We will also be going on a field trip to the Hamilton Museum of Steam & Technology on January 22! This will be in connection to our last science unit about properties of and changes in matter. We do not need any extra chaperones for this trip.
Devotions for next week are as follows: for 5A – Avery (M), Lily (Tu), Leah (W), Megan (Th), Jasper (F), and for 5B – Shepherd (M), Taryn (Tu), Elias (W), Phoenix (Th), and Hailey (F).
Have a wonderful weekend! CDV/KV
Grade 6
After a rest and a break, it is good to settle back into routines and the rhythms of classroom life again. In Bible History we picked up our study of the patriarchs (Abraham and Isaac). In Science, we started a new unit on Electricity, seeing God’s faithfulness in the order of His creation and the truth that He is “the same yesterday, today, and forever.” In PE, we began a mini-unit on Ball Hockey. Have a blessed weekend! CVA BK MJ
Grade 7A
After a break in our everyday routine to celebrate Immanuel, it was good to return to the work of serving God and the neighbour. Of particular importance will be the Public Speaking and Poetry Declamation contest. Your child has decided to either write and present a speech, or memorize and recite a poem. Speeches will be written in class and will be completed in phases, introduction, main points, conclusion. Poems will be broken into four memorization pieces and those students will be assigned memorization dates. Be sure to ask your child what they have chosen to do and how they are progressing. Enjoy your weekend.
Grade 7B
Welcome back to school after two weeks away! I hope you had an enjoyable break. We have returned to Bible history and are learning about King David, after completing our unit on Martin Luther in church history. In math, students are working on adding and subtracting positive and negative integers, and next week we will continue with multiplication and division of integers. A major focus in Grade 7 right now is preparation for the Public Speaking Contest. Students have begun writing their speeches and will start memorizing once their drafts are complete. Those who are memorizing poems are encouraged to record themselves at home so they can watch and listen, and identify areas for improvement. Thanks for your help in this matter! Have a great week!
Grade 8
It was a great week getting Grade 8 back into regular routines. Much of this week involved our normal programming, and we look forward to more of the same next week.
We have begun new chapters in History, Geography, and Language Arts. In Church History, we are continuing our study of the Reformation in Scotland, and students will have a quiz next week on the first few lessons.
Preparation for our speech and poetry public speaking contest is also underway. Please encourage your student to work on their preparation whenever they have the opportunity.
Have a great weekend! TB/RT