COMMUNITYConnectionFall 2015

SCHOOLGARDENSGROW

with the VIP?big dealWhat’s the

with our store’snew managerQ+A

The Official Magazine of Strathroy Community Christian School

The Principal’s NoteBy Ken VanMinnen

The Braveand the Broken

Let’s take a vote! Who wants to be brave? You most likely answered affirmatively to that question. Now, who wants to be broken? The silence is deafening.

After all, who wants to be broken? It means you can’t handle what is happening around you, you don’t have the skills to get the job done, or you are incomplete in some way. Furthermore, how can you be brave (like you said you wanted to be) if you are broken?

This may seem weird but I am actively praying for a certain level of brokenness within the Strathroy Community Christian School (SCCS) community. Does this mean I want bad things to happen to people or for people to be disheartened or discouraged? No, but without an awareness of our brokenness I don’t think we will be brave enough to do what God is asking us to do. Like a muscle that is becoming stronger we need to feel the pain of being stretched, and even broken, so that future growth can occur.

If you take a quick look at the New Testament you will see it was the broken who took the risk to be brave. The woman at the well (John 4), the bleeding woman (Luke 8), the paralyzed man and his four friends (Mark 2), the sinful woman anointing Jesus (Luke 7), and many more. When people are desperate and realize their own brokenness they run to Jesus Christ. SCCS is a school that is built on the truth that humankind is broken, but the Holy Spirit works in us to become brave and seek out a relationship with Jesus.

Our school theme this year is “God is Greater Than...” and we will see during this school year that God is greater than our brokenness. God has been faithful to SCCS for more than 60 years now and it is clear He wants SCCS to be a place of refuge for the broken. God does not leave us broken, but He works in us to be brave and rely completely on the finished work of His son Jesus Christ. Let’s take another vote! Who wants to be brave? If so, you need to be broken first.

DirectionWelcome back to SCCS for 2015–16 and a big welcome

to new families and staff who will be joining us for the first time! I’m excited about my new role as chair

of the board and am looking forward to working with the rest of the board directors to serve the school community! We will be asking for your support and feedback as we work toward the goals outlined in our new strategic plan.

Many recent changes have been made, such as an increase in staff members to improve the individualised learning, making each day a meaningful learning experience for every child. This is part of our operational strategy and, as time goes on, parents will continue to notice more interesting changes to how their children are taught.

The board will be focusing on two key areas this year: developing our new fundraising strategy and engaging the school community. We feel that it is very important to involve all of our enrolled families since all parents benefit from the money that is donated and raised to reduce the cost of tuition. Much of the work is currently borne by a minority of the community, so I encourage each family to get involved in the Second Chance Community Store and the Voucher Incentive Program (VIP) – both of these initiatives are huge fundraisers for us and there is potential for so much more!

Membership is also an important area of focus for the board. As you may know, since SCCS separated Society membership from school enrollment, the number of members has dramatically decreased. It is in the best interest of SCCS that Christian families that are enrolled here be members, but more importantly, that they be active, informed members! A strong membership will ensure that SCCS stays focused on providing Christ-centred education. So, if you are not already a member, or if you are not sure if you are, contact a board member! We will be glad to hear from you.

Another part of our strategic plan involves building expansion. Space is limited around here, so our Building Committee has been working hard all summer to plan for the future. Keep an eye out this fall for announcements and ways to offer your feedback.

On behalf of the board, I welcome all of you back for a new school year and look forward to working with and for you in this wonderful school!

Calendar

Strathroy Community Christian School7880 Walkers Drive

Strathroy, ON N7G 3H4

519-245-1934office@sccs.ca

principal@sccs.ca

www.sccs.ca

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September 15 New Parent Info Night

September 16 Class and individual pictures

September 25 Terry Fox Run

October 6 Cross country in Stratford

October 7 Chapel

October 12 Thanksgiving Day – no school

October 13 Woodstock District Soccer Tournament

October 29-30 Edifide Convention – no school

November 11 Remembrance Day chapel

November 14 Goods & Services Auction and Dinner

November 23 Fall Membership Meeting

November 27 Volleyball tournament in London

November 27 PD day – no school

The Board ReportBy Board Chair Rich Hamstra

One

Strathroy Community Christian School received two grants from Employment and Social Development Canada’s Enabling Accessibility Fund that helped

to increase accessibility at the school and Second Chance Community Store.

The improvements at the Second Chance Community Store have already helped to increase workplace accessibility for people with disabilities, made the retail store safer and created a more inclusive work environment.

The school’s main entrance, which is frequented by students, parents and community members, was also upgraded. This project involved the installation of automatic door openers and an assistive communications system for those who require further help.

The front door at the school now locks automatically at 9:00 a.m. every school day morning. This is part of an initiative to keep the school as safe as possible and to control who enters the building. This is not meant to break community, but is an effort to maintain a safe school environment. When you arrive at the school, and the school is locked, you will need to use the video intercom located on the wall left of the front doors. Someone in the school will verify your identity and allow you in the school by buzzing the door open.

Together, these accessibility projects will also help to form partnerships with community groups in the future.

ACCESSIBLE TO ALL

School entrance with accessibility features.

Making ourschool & store

The Enabling Accessibility Fund is a federal Grants and Contributions program that supports capital costs of construction and renovations related to improving physical accessibility and safety for people with disabilities in Canadian communities and workplaces.

Since its creation in 2007, the program has funded over 2,200 projects across the country and has improved accessibility for thousands of Canadians.

Second Chance Community Store’s entrance and washroom with accessibility upgrades.

The Voucher Incentive Program (VIP) is a special fundraiser that helps parents reduce the cost of

tuition while raising funds for SCCS.

Here’s how it worksWe buy gift cards in bulk at a discounted rate and sell them at face value to VIP participants. Every participating family is given an account in which their purchases are recorded and 50% of the profit goes into this account to be used toward their tuition. SCCS keeps the remaining 50% which goes into our budget.

The gift cards/certificates are used by the VIP participants just like cash at the participating retailers - without costing anything extra.

How does it help?• Up to 15% of each gift card’s value is

given to participating families and our school.

• More than $30,000 was raised last year for the budget and tuition reduction!

• It’s a tax-free and easy way to decrease your tuition payments.

• You pay face value for gift cards at businesses you already shop at.

• Using the VIP to pay for gas for our fleet of buses saves more than $3,000.

• VIP helps all families afford Christian education.

• And you can do it all online at www.sccs.ca/VIP

Thank you to those families who already participate! We encourage you to start today…it is as easy as emailing vip@sccs.ca to get an online login and password.

BE A VIPMaking ourschool & store

This past spring, students wanted to learn how to plant vegetables in hands-on ways, so local landscaper and SCCS parent Calvin Dykstra volunteered to create a series of large

raised garden beds. Each was uniquely planted with whatever each class wanted to grow.

Over the summer, the plants were maintained by Mrs. Sloane, growing a wide range of edibles, including pumpkins and tomatoes (pictured). All of the produce has been donated to the Women’s Rural Resource Centre in Strathroy. Great job students and volunteers!

New Gardens GrowStudents’ vegetable plants thrive!

NEW

STA

FF M

EMBE

RS

Joel Dykxhoorn I am excited to be new at SCCS this year! My homeroom will be the Grade 6 class. I’m looking forward to teaching middle school Language Arts, Bible and Grade 7 Art. My wife Rachel and I have two very energetic boys – Colton (3) and Ezekiel (1). When I’m not watching Bubble Guppies at home I enjoy playing sports and music, reading anything and cooking dinner.

Melissa CecileI am so very excited to be joining the SCCS team as an educational assistant this year! My love for learning began at our very own SCCS – my, do I love this school! Some other things that I love include my wonderful husband and family, serving with my church family, and playing basically any sport!

Megan Galbraith I grew up in Strathroy, attending Westmount Christian Reformed Church. I was away from my family and friends for four years at Redeemer University College, but I am now excited to be back in my hometown and am ready to explore the new ways God will lead me in the coming months as an EA and in my upcoming wedding.

Judy KortenMy husband J.C. and I have been married for almost 26 years and have been blessed with five amazing children. Our small hobby farm is just outside Appin where our two youngest daughters and I spend much time riding our five horses. We also teach riding lessons and have gotten to know some of the SCCS community through that. Besides keeping busy with horses I also love music and have been an accompanist in the churches that we have attended over the years.

Nellie LevittI am so excited to be working as an ECE in the SK classroom and an EA at SCCS. I have been married for 20 years to my high school sweetheart Mike and we have four boys: Jonathan, Thomas, Andrew and Matthew. We have been a part of SCCS since Jonathan was in Joy School 13 years ago. During those early years at SCCS I remember volunteering in the classrooms and praying Psalms 37:4 that one day I would be blessed to work here. God has given me the desire of my heart.

Karista SmeetsI will be teaching Grade 2 this year! This is my first year at SCCS and I’m very thankful to be a part of such a wonderful community! I grew up in London and this is where I still live with my cat, Atticus. I have one sister and she has two adorable kids, Kaden and Aleigha; I love spending time with them and watching them grow. In my spare time, I love to spend time with my family, read, play badminton, and do art.

Stephanie VanderSchaafMy name is Stephanie VanderSchaaf and I will be running the 4,5 Thrive program! My husband Doug and I have three super-cool kids: Hannah, Josiah and Sarah. I am really looking forward to a great first year as staff with SCCS!

with the Second Chance Community Store’snew managerQ+A

We spoke with the store’s new manager, Ingrid Nordemann-Baker,

to learn about herself and the exciting prospects for the store.

Tell us about yourselfI grew up in Lobo and went to John Calvin Christian School with my brother and three sisters.

After three years at the Fanshawe College Fashion Design, I went out west to Edmonton to work in the hotel industry. I was eventually transferred to Toronto by the company, which became Westin Hotels. In Toronto I met my husband. In the early 1990s I received my hotel certificate from Guelph University and continued in hotel management until 2000. My husband and I then purchased a sports-fishing lodge, which we operated for eight years.

After the sale of the lodge we moved back to the Strathroy area.

What about your job do you love most?With my management background and retail experience I knew this was the job for me. Being close to home and my community was also very important. And what better cause than Christ-centred education!

Why are donations to the store so important?It helps us ensure that we have a good variety of stock to entice our customers to buy. This will lead to more profit, resulting in savings for families attending Strathroy Community Christian School.

What else can readers do to help?Volunteers are always welcome! We encourage all family members to help out in the store. All it takes is a few 2–4 hour shifts. If every parent schedules this, we can fill all of the shifts required for an entire year. With enough people we can assist our customers and have a lot of fun!

BROWN, Ryan & SarahHunter in Grade 8

BUECKERT, Juan & SusanaNick in Grade 1Cornelius in Grade 3Willy in Grade 5

DOBIE, Ben & ElizabethChristian in Grade 2

FREER, Bill & FrankieJesse in Grade 1Riley in Grade 5

HAN, Eunhwa AhnJewan in Grade 5Geesoo in Grade 7

HOWLEY, Paul & TanyaNoah in JK

HUMPHRIES, Greg & AndreaColin in Grade 7

JARDINE, Andrew & ErinClaire in SKAidan in Grade 2

LAVIGNE, Jeff & LaraineCole in Grade 3

LEE, Junseok & EunsooJunghwan in JKJihwan in Grade 1

LEE, San Woo & Yang Ju KimLuke in Grade 2Juha in Grade 3Leah in Grade 7

NESIC, Alex & KellyAmelia in JK

PETERS, Justin & KatieAinsley in JK

PETTIT, Allan & SandraVivian in Grade 2Oliver in Grade 3

RAMSEY, David & KristaNatasha in SKCaleb in Grade 4Sebastien in Grade 7

REYCRAFT, Todd & KarenLaura in Grade 3Nathan in Grade 4

SNEDDON, Stuart & CherylJordan in SK

SWITZER, Mark & AmyOwen in JK

YOUN, Ji Young & Gyujin ShonTaehee in Grade 5Taein in Grade 7

NEW

FAM

ILIES

We thank the Lord for the new friends thatHe has brought to SCCS this year!

the 26th annualGOODS & SERVICES

auction and dinner

it’salmost

here

You’re invited to Strathroy Community Christian School’s

auction and dinnerto be held at the Caradoc Community Centre

in Mount Brydges on Saturday, November 14

Please contribute a service, a product or a gift certificate. Anything of value can be auctioned,so be creative and help us raise money for Christ-centred education!

Please contact an auction committee member as soon as possible to confirm your contribution:

Stephanie VanderSchaaf, G&S Auction Committee Chair – 519-652-6042 or dnsv05@yahoo.ca

John DaPonte, G&S Auction Committee Member – 519-264-2060

Darren Hakker, Director of Marketing – 1-519-491-0404 or dhakker@sccs.ca

If you would like to attend the auction and dinner, please request seats through Cathy Lubbers

at Strathroy Community Christian School: 519-245-1934 or office@sccs.ca. Limited seats available!

For the second year in a row, attendance and dinner is FREE!