September 2017

Welcome to the fall season! It may still feel like summer with current temperatures so high, but we have (as of September 22nd), officially entered fall! I hope that these past few weeks have gone smoothly for you: transitioning your children back to school or sending them for the first time.

As I reflect on the first 3 weeks of school I think about how busy it is for students, parents, and teachers - yet it is an exciting time. We teachers feel the energy and excitement and we know its because of things like: the first day of school, reuniting with friends and/or making new friends, leadership team sign-ups, soccer teams practising, cross country runners training, volleyball starting in a week, buddy classes getting together for the first time, the Terry Fox run, the first pizza day, and so on. From a teacher's perspective, September can of course be a stressful time, but it the excitement seem propels us forward. It's exciting for teachers because the students are excited. It's neat to see students signing up for extra-curricular activities, testing themselves mentally and physically again, and building community here at WCS. I pray that this school year goes well for you and your child. I pray that your child finds enjoyment in his/her learning.  I pray that your child grows in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour. Blessings!

 

A. Hiemstra

Noah - A Righteous Man

 

At our Wednesday morning chapel last week, we learned more about Noah as a hero of faith and how God called him to complete the unusual task of building an ark. Noah was a righteous man, we read in the Biblical account, and he responded to God in obedience. Righteous is not a word that we use in our everyday language. However, check out the definition and the alternate words listed in the thesaurus: good, virtuous, upright, upstanding, decent, ethical, principled, moral, high-minded, law-abiding, honest, honorable, blameless, irreproachable, noble. What a list of terrific qualities! We should all desire to be righteous like Noah! As we draw our students' attention to the Bible characters listed in Hebrews 11, we seek to focus on the action that each of these people of faith carried out, but also the virtues that each person exemplifies. Obedience and righteousness are themes in the Noah account. As you explore, read, and reread the Bible stories with your family this year, I encourage you to go deep, ask questions about how the characters responded to their calling in their time and place in history. Challenge your children to respond in obedience to God in this time and place. Our prayer is that our children will grow in knowledge, wisdom and in their faith walk this year as they understand that they are part of God's great story of salvation and action.

 

C. Verbeek

As a new school year begins, we welcome new families, meet new teachers and greet old friends. At WCS, the events sprinkled throughout our calendar year help us to enjoy time and fellowship together. Although it is comfortable and familiar to chat with our life long friends, I encourage each of you to take a few moments to talk with someone that you do not know. A great time to put this into practice is at the upcoming Dessert Social! This is a light evening of classroom visits, sharing (nut free) potluck style desserts and seeing the changes that have taken place in the hallways at Woodstock Christian School. We pray that God will continue to bless our school as He has done so richly in the past!       How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity. Psalm 133:3

 

Dawn Streutker

It's a brand new year! Welcome to our new students and staff. Welcome back previous students, teachers and support staff and drivers. A special welcome to parents, relatives, friends, neighbours of WCS. We are happy to have your support and share your excitement for another school year. This summer, WCS was a construction zone. There were wooden rooms around the office door, and the washrooms near the staffroom. There was wood and mortar and gravel in the halls. Contractors, plumbers, electricians, and volunteers were in and out. It was noisy and messy and really interesting to see the changes taking place. Classrooms were emptied and cleaned and filled again. As renovations wrapped up, this place began to feel like a school again. But not quite because there  were no students yet. Without students, it's not really a school. Today, we are ready to roll. The  energy is back and we praise God for a new year and new beginnings! I am excited to explore our new theme: FAITH IN ACTION - HEROES FOR GOD. Stay tuned for future chapels, assemblies, and editorials exploring how God used and uses ordinary people for his purposes. Blessings for the new school year.

Carol Verbeek