Thanks Again! June 17th, 2013

As another year wraps up I want to take the opportunity to thank our school community.  Last year you had made my family feel welcomed into a new normal.   This past year the community has continued to welcome us and I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to serve at Dundas Calvin Christian School this year.  I thank you, the parents, for entrusting your children, our students, to us each day.  We work with the students in various capacities and this school is richly blessed by the students and their contribution.  Thank you for having your children continue to be a part of serving God and the community through our school.  I would also like to thank the students for all of their work and commitment throughout their learning.  I would like to thank them for using their gifts to make contributions to the school community and culture.     I also want to thank the teachers and staff for their hard work, dedication, and professionalism as they live out their passions of faith, education, and teaching children at our school. I also thank the larger, supporting community who shares the vision of Christian education and finds multiple ways to uphold our organization.  Finally, I would like to thank our Heavenly Father for his faithfulness and provision for our school for this year and the 50 years before this one, to Him be all the glory, and honour and praise, for ever.   God Bless you all and have a great summer. Lord willing, I hope to see you around next year.  ~Mr. Bouwers 

Clothes for Summer June 10, 2013

As this is the last full week of school it is a good time to pause and reflect on the year.  We have experienced the undulations we see each year; there were the ups and downs, highs and lows, and everything in between.  We have been living and learning this year and, at times, learning how to live.  Colossians 3 discusses living as those made alive in Christ.  Teaching from a Christ-centered perspective we care a great deal about the content our students learn.  We help our students discern the worldview that the content supports and equip them for the next steps in learning, from Kindergarten to Grade 8.  We know that preparing them academically for the next step is only part of our calling.  We want students to be prepared physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually for the next steps as well.   Colossians 3 has been home base for how we discuss the character we want to see in our students and the culture we hope to see forming throughout the interactions at school.  Our flesh is weak and unable to sustain us so we must put our trust elsewhere.  I will take some time to paraphrase this passage for our students and the graduating class of 2013.  This passage gives us a vision for living.

Sons and daughters of God, shed what needs to be shed.  Let die the things in our flesh that we dwell on and magnify.  Chisel out of your lives rage and anger, talking behind peoples back, language that is dirty and filthy, and lying to save your skin.  Be a new person in Christ, who is in all, and grow in maturity to reflect the image of Him. Let others see your identity in Christ in you as you put on the garments of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Support and sustain each other living a grace filled life, giving and receiving forgiveness.  And over all of these wonderful things put on love which holds it all together.

Learning in context June 3, 2013

I remember my class trip to Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg, Ontario.  I distinctly remember walking through the dusty village and learning about washing clothes on the wash board and churning butter. It was a hot day and I was hoping we could go for a swim but that was not in the cards. I remember my trip in grade 2 to the Veterinary Clinic as well as my trip to the Hersey factory in Smith Falls, Ontario.  I think I can remember almost every field trip I have been on, even the ones as a teacher.   These are some of the things that stick with students for a lifetime, the experiences they have on a field trip seems to embed itself differently in a student.  Field trips provide the students with the opportunity to contextualize learning and students are able to quickly attach what they learn to the proper framework.   It exposes them to learning experiences that cannot be replicated in the classroom.  It creates a rich context for the different topics and provides them with learning that is visual, auditory and hands on.  Field trips can also provide students with service learning opportunities that help us show the love of Christ.  These trips can also provide community building opportunities to establish a relational foundation in the class or community.  This coming week there are numerous field trips that provide multiple opportunities to learn in various ways.  It is another avenue of learning that aids us in providing a quality, Christ-centered education, to develop the gifts of God’s children and prepare them for a life of leadership and contribution in service to the King.  Can you remember any of your field trips?

Wacky Weather and an Unchanging God

Well May seems to be providing quite the diverse weather for our area.  Normally we would be well into the swing of spring but it has been more of a roller coaster ride.  Flurries, hot snaps with high humidity, frost, beautiful spring days that are punctuated by other chilly days and nights fill out the almanac so far this year.  Weather can be unpredictable even with current forecasting technology.   Although the instability of the weather can remain in question, the surety of the seasons brings us some comfort.  Through the ups and downs of the weather we can take comfort in the steady pattern of the seasons that our Creator has firmly established in our area.  Spring follows winter, summer follows spring and fall comes before winter.  What is even more comforting is our unchanging and everlasting Father in heaven.  We can take comfort in the fact that God is good and his love endures forever.  Despite the roller coaster of events in our own experiences we can put our trust in Him and His provision for us.  We go through various seasons at school and in our own lives and it is buoyed by the constant and unfailing love of our Provider.  We want our students to know that God is good, all the time.   ~ Mr. Bouwers

Responding When Tragedy strikes May 21, 2013

Closing the doors to the office and I took a few moments to gather my thoughts and ask the Spirit to move in my heart, and to search His word for clarity.  There have been a number of tragedies recently, foremost on our minds is the case involving Tim Bosma.  Other recent events expose us to the brokenness in our world: the tornado in Oklahoma City, the warehouse collapse in Bangladesh, the Boston marathon incident and I am sure there are many, many more.   One thing that became crystal clear to me was there are no simple answers.  And it may be most prudent to show wisdom by remaining silent in these tough situations.  It seems to me that in times of tragedy it is more appropriate to ask questions than it is to provide answers.  Some questions that come to mind are: whom do we permit these tragedies to serve? Will we trust Him as a God who does only what is right?  Will we accept His plan for our lives? These are not easy questions but they do provide us with opportunity to discuss our faith, our doubts, and what that means for how we live today. 

 I read a devotional this morning talking about two worlds at work in our everyday lives: the worlds of power and love. It was an interesting to consider the author’s perspective of how these two contrasting worlds also intersect.  It stated: “Any exercise of power apart from love leads to brutality and evil; but any claim to love that does not lead to using that power for the good of others is mere sentimentality and emotion… I think the Reign of God includes both love and power in a lovely dance… It is a beautiful combination of both authority and vulnerability.”  (adapted from “Jesus’ Plan for a New World”)  We may have no answers to the tragedies that surround us but we can choose how we respond.  I pray that we respond in love, simply to comfort with the comfort we’ve received, and to continually set our hearts on God.  This is the hope we have for our students and their families; in Christ alone our hope is found. 

Another set of eyes.... May 13, 2013

I remember coming across a story some time ago and sharing it with a number of other people.   A missionary recounted a story of when he first went into the mission field.  Someone, out of the goodness of their heart, gave him a car to do all of his travelling.  There was only one small problem with the car, it would not start.  The only way he could get it to start was to “bump start” the car by get someone to push it or to get it moving.   Each and every day, the missionary would take great care to keep the car running after he got it started.   He would either have to park it on a hill or leave it running to ensure that it would be ready when needed.  The missionary continued to do this for just over two years until he had to step down due to health issues.  He was replaced in the mission field by another missionary and had the opportunity to show him the ropes.  On the day he was leaving, they were looking over the car and the retiring missionary was explaining how to start the car when the new guy popped the hood.  Looking in at the engine the new comer said, “Sir, I think I can see your problem."  And he reached down and connected a loose wire to the battery and the car started right up. 

Currently, the school is going through a school quality evaluation and we have taken the time to see how things are running and operating at the school.  A lot of work has been done and there are more steps to take.  On Monday and Tuesday of this week, we are going through an external review.  Auditors from other school will be coming in and seeing things with a different set of eyes.  The missionary benefited from the observations of the replacement and we too can benefit from the expertise and perspective of others.  This enables us to stay on the path of continual improvement and assess school quality.  We do this so we can continue to provide quality, Christ-centered education; to develop the gifts of God’s children and prepare them for a life of leadership and contribution in God’s kingdom. 

Who's in charge? May 6th, 2013

At staff devotions today we took a closer look at who is in charge.  Immediate our minds are drawn to the tasks that need to be carried out and who is responsible to get it done.  Teachers have a distinct leadership role in the classroom and throughout the school.  As well, the principal also carries leadership responsibility at school and in the broader school community.  Just because the responsibility is levied to the staff, it does not change the fact that ultimately the Lord is in charge.   He is there, and he is here.  He goes with us and before us working out his good and perfect will.  We may have responsibilities or tasks to carry out but we do so in the knowledge that before we even cross paths with students or parents each day that the Lord is there and has been active in our hearts, our minds and in His creation.  To quote Charles Swindoll, “But our invisible God …is continually, constantly, and confidently at work.”  We live in this assurance and try to faithfully carry out the work he has set out for us to do.  We respond to this at DCCS by living out our calling, working in the knowledge that the Lord is in charge and working in us and through us to accomplish is purpose and so our mission and vision can faithfully reflect His will for our lives.    

Reflecting on Christian Education Week April 29, 2013

Celebration of Christian Education can be a tricky business.  We are so thankful for recent events and we do want to share the joy with our community but we do not want to appear to boast or brag in anything except Christ.  So let’s start there.  In Christ all things are held together, including this community.  We celebrated the fact that Christian Education is a radical venture last week with the students and the visiting Grandparents and Grand-friends.  James Smith in an article titled “The Case for Christian Education” suggests what is radical about Christian education is the premise that any and every education is rooted in a worldview, in a grand story.  Our story has Christ firmly rooted in the center and is seen in all aspects of our curriculum.  We celebrate the ongoing Christian education movement and we boast about what God is doing in our lives and in Christian schools.

The students participated in Christian Education Week activities to raise funds for the Canadian Christian Education Foundation.  The students were able to raise support for the “Give a little, Get a lot” campaign that enables the organization to develop Christian educational materials for teachers and students, sponsor educational activities and raise awareness for Christian Education across Canada.  We praise the Lord for our children and their support for kingdom causes. 

We are so very thankful for our supportive community.  I had the great honour and privilege of hosting our grandparents and grand-friends last Wednesday.  During our time together we discussed the real needs in our community and the opportunity to partner with the school to assist some of our families in raising the next generation in the faith.  I believe it takes a community’s full support to ensure our schools are thriving and accessible to Christian families in our community.  We praise God for our Grandparents and friends who showed their support for Christian education.  They are committed to praying for the school and they also supported the Tuition Assistance fund with donations over $16 000.  We praise the Lord and make our boast in what he is doing through our supporting community.

God is good, all the time and all the time, God is good. 

A Call To Prayer April 22nd, 2013

At the recent membership meeting a school member stood up near the completion of the meeting and called our community to prayer.  He gave a stirring, spirit filled response to a call placed on his heart for us to bring our petitions to the Lord.   I think it important to commit, once again, to prayer for our school.  We should pray for our students, your children, that the Holy Spirit may work powerfully in their lives and that they may respond to the knocking on the door of their hearts.  We should continually pray for the teachers as well and for God to work in their hearts and lives as well.  As we continue on please pray for enrollment, for our future families and pray that our school may be an impact on our community.

I would like to earnestly ask you to pray deep, heart felt prayers for the school and the all-round health of our school and students.  This should continue to be priority at this school.  Each week the staff upholds a few families and their children in prayer as we start the week devoting time to the Lord. Our Lord is Lord of all things and he, out of his love and grace for us, wants to be in constant contact with us.   He wants to hear from us and the desires of our hearts.  He wants our desires to become more and more in line with the Kingdom.

 Please continue to pray for the Spirit’s leading in our school, on the Board, through the staff and students and our broader community.  

Power Outage April 15, 2013

With the recent power outage some families were left scrambling to make arrangements to deal with the lack of power they were experiencing.  It was a bit of a paradox, the power we rely on was temporarily severed due to the power and forces of nature.  Trees came crashing down, houses and vehicles were damaged, and power lines and poles were left mangled and tangled in the aftermath.  In these situations we have opportunities to show our love and care for neighbours in need.  Our children watch how we react to the needs of others nearby and far away.  This was one of those moments that we could put on the clothes of Christ and mix in a bundle of compassion, a heap of kindness, a measure of humility, gentleness and a generous amount of patience. 

Here is one example from this past weekend.  Friday evening, after hydro workers had worked steadily at restoring power, a hydro truck became stuck in the soft ground. This worker had been out for more than 24 hours straight.  A few individuals saw what was going on and went over to see if they could be of any assistance.  The three worked at digging out tires, placing planks and even using a pickup truck and a rope to try to pull the rig loose but it was to no avail.  The call was about to be made to a towing company when in the distance, not too far off, was someone driving a tractor down the road dragging a chain that was dancing and clanging on the pavement.  This guy had seen the troubles when he had passed by the obviously immobile truck.  When he got home he immediately jumped in the tractor to come and help out.  This instance demonstrates how compassion and kindness can be played out in our everyday lives.  I am thankful for Christians who jump in tractors to help out others and expect nothing in return.  I pray that my children will hear and see these events and take opportunities to live them out as well.  We pray that our students will show these characteristics on the bus, on the playground, in the classrooms and in their communities.  May the Spirit continue to work in all of our lives to convict us to act on these moments and opportunities.