Re-enrollment letters went out prior to spring break, which means that you are now most likely aware that the board has approved a modest, 5% increase in tuition for the 2012-13 school year. Enrollment, application fees and testing fees remain the same. The decision to increase tuition at a Christian school is never an easy one. The impact any increase will have on families is always a primary consideration, as it has been for our board.
It's been thirty years since I first signed a contract to teach at Broadway Baptist School on Houston's East side. The school served a working class community, and managed to provide a high quality, Christ-centered education to 550 students who paid an average of $1,600 a year in tuition and fees. The school was debt free, shared an older but efficiently organized facility with a church, utilized a lot of volunteers, and paid its teachers and staff salaries that were lower than first year teachers straight out of college made in the public school system. We managed by sharing rent, carpooling, working part-time second jobs, stretching out coaching stipends and depending on the grace of God. And that worked. We provided an academically excellent education in a Christ-centered environment to the students of the families who also made sacrifices to send them our way.
In that regard, though the dollar amounts have become larger, not much has changed. The fact of the matter is that what we accomplish at Portersville Christian School is disproportionately larger than the financial resources required to pay the bills.
Though we are not perfect, by any means, our faculty and staff works hard to provide a Christ-centered atmosphere that supports what parents are teaching their children at home. We think of what we are doing as a discipleship ministry, encouraging our students to grow in their faith and listen for God's voice, calling them to serve Jesus by serving others. We provide many opportunities for students to have their faith challenged and stretched so that they will grow into the mature servants of Jesus that God desires them to be in whatever occupation they choose.
The academic atmosphere at Portersville Christian School also goes well beyond the financial investment, as our students have distinguished themselves as being among the top achievers in the region. Our SAT and Stanford scores, which are well above local, state and national averages, are testimonies of student accomplishment, and of the efforts of our faculty, who work for a salary and benefits well below the level of their public school counterparts. And things haven't changed all that much in that many of them work second jobs, or share apartments, or live at home with their parents, drive old cars, and do a lot of other things to stretch their salaries and make it possible for them to continue to work here. That's a sacrifice they make willingly because they understand the importance of a Christ-centered education to the future.
We know, too, that we have many families who make sacrifices to send their children here. That's why this Christian school, as well as many others, works so well. We really are depending on the grace of God to work things out. It wouldn't happen any other way.
And so, as we approach the coming year, the board has approved a budget that calls for an increase of 5% in tuition. Among the other Christian schools in our area, that is a modest increase, and will keep PCS among the least expensive in terms of cost, and among the most generous in terms of financial aid. The uncertainties of a struggling economy, and the effects of a long recession have created a gap that, in spite of the increase in tuition, still exists in the budget. As a result, the school will have to step out on faith and trust that God will provide the difference that is needed. We know that will be the case with many of our families as well. I believe that God will bless both the financial assistance that is provided to make it possible for families to enjoy this blessing, and the sacrifices made by people to make sure that this ministry continues to be available.
Our response to that is a call to prayer. On Tuesday, April 17, at 7:00 p.m. in the gym, those who come will be asked to participate in a prayer meeting asking God to meet the financial needs of the school, and of each family who feels his leadership to send their children here. This will be part of the all-school annual meeting, and it should be the best attended event of the school year. Please come and join us as we gather together and give this matter to the Lord.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
The Bubble That We Are
If I had a nickle for every time a parent told me that someone got on to them for putting their kids in Christian school, and not letting them experience the "real world," I'd be able to retire comfortably. I've heard that many times, from well meaning Christians, and even from students.
"Christian school is just a shelter from the real world. Kids from Christian families should be salt and light in the public school system, and should be learning and experiencing from being in that kind of environment."
I will agree with the assertion that Christian school is a shelter from the "real world," and for some very good, Biblical reasons. As to whether the public school is "the real world," or whether it presents an opportunity for kids to be "salt and light," well, that's quite another matter.
Jesus spent three years with his chosen disciples, teaching, modeling, encouraging, loving, disciplining, scolding. And after three intense years with God in the flesh, one of them never "graduated" on to the "real world," preferring instead to benefit himself by betraying Jesus to his enemies. The other eleven either fled to protect themselves, or eventually got around to denying his name when confronted with having to take sides. Jesus set up the church so that his followers would have a place to go when their strength needed to be renewed, when their training needed to be enhanced, and when their souls needed to be comforted after being out in, and beaten up by, the "real world." How is it, then, that we would expect some kind of real Christian growth to take place in an environment where the content, philosophical approach, and moral atmosphere is not allowed to even be influenced by the truth, much less to be a conveyor of it?
Most social research, Christian or secular, shows that there is a steady stream of young people out the back door of the churches in this country. Somewhere between 70% and 80% of the children of families who raise them in the church will leave it by the time they graduate from college. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the most pervasive influence in their lives during their younger years comes from the schools they attend. Nor does this have to hit anyone in the head to make sense when you see that most of the 20% to 30% who remain in the church have spent at least some significant time in a Christian educational setting, whether in grade school, high school or college.
The Bible makes parents completely and totally responsible for the education of their children. There is no other option. Christian schools recognize this by submitting to parental authority when it comes to their children, and working in an educational partnership with them. Parents are involved in virtually every aspect of the educational process here, from the governing board to operating the lunch room. Next to integrating Biblical truth into the curriculum, this is one of the unique, and distinctively Christian aspects of a Christian school.
Contrast that with any public school. Parents are generally welcome only when it will benefit the school. Since the school is an institution of the state, which is forced to be "neutral" when it comes to matters of faith, no Biblical principles or practices can be integrated into the curriculum or life of the school. How can you teach truth, when you can't acknowledge the source of truth? The effect of that on students, even on those from homes that are staunchly committed to Christ, is to water down and weaken their faith. In the Christian school, our plan is to fertilize, water, and strengthen their faith and we have the tools to do it. So we are in a bubble, much like a greenhouse or an incubator. And at Portersville, we're in a really good one that is doing an excellent job.
Our hope is that when our students leave the "bubble," they will be prepared to face the "real world" with all of the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10).
"Christian school is just a shelter from the real world. Kids from Christian families should be salt and light in the public school system, and should be learning and experiencing from being in that kind of environment."
I will agree with the assertion that Christian school is a shelter from the "real world," and for some very good, Biblical reasons. As to whether the public school is "the real world," or whether it presents an opportunity for kids to be "salt and light," well, that's quite another matter.
Jesus spent three years with his chosen disciples, teaching, modeling, encouraging, loving, disciplining, scolding. And after three intense years with God in the flesh, one of them never "graduated" on to the "real world," preferring instead to benefit himself by betraying Jesus to his enemies. The other eleven either fled to protect themselves, or eventually got around to denying his name when confronted with having to take sides. Jesus set up the church so that his followers would have a place to go when their strength needed to be renewed, when their training needed to be enhanced, and when their souls needed to be comforted after being out in, and beaten up by, the "real world." How is it, then, that we would expect some kind of real Christian growth to take place in an environment where the content, philosophical approach, and moral atmosphere is not allowed to even be influenced by the truth, much less to be a conveyor of it?
Most social research, Christian or secular, shows that there is a steady stream of young people out the back door of the churches in this country. Somewhere between 70% and 80% of the children of families who raise them in the church will leave it by the time they graduate from college. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the most pervasive influence in their lives during their younger years comes from the schools they attend. Nor does this have to hit anyone in the head to make sense when you see that most of the 20% to 30% who remain in the church have spent at least some significant time in a Christian educational setting, whether in grade school, high school or college.
The Bible makes parents completely and totally responsible for the education of their children. There is no other option. Christian schools recognize this by submitting to parental authority when it comes to their children, and working in an educational partnership with them. Parents are involved in virtually every aspect of the educational process here, from the governing board to operating the lunch room. Next to integrating Biblical truth into the curriculum, this is one of the unique, and distinctively Christian aspects of a Christian school.
Contrast that with any public school. Parents are generally welcome only when it will benefit the school. Since the school is an institution of the state, which is forced to be "neutral" when it comes to matters of faith, no Biblical principles or practices can be integrated into the curriculum or life of the school. How can you teach truth, when you can't acknowledge the source of truth? The effect of that on students, even on those from homes that are staunchly committed to Christ, is to water down and weaken their faith. In the Christian school, our plan is to fertilize, water, and strengthen their faith and we have the tools to do it. So we are in a bubble, much like a greenhouse or an incubator. And at Portersville, we're in a really good one that is doing an excellent job.
Our hope is that when our students leave the "bubble," they will be prepared to face the "real world" with all of the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10).
Monday, February 6, 2012
It's Time to Think About Re-enrollment
We've just started our second semester, and there's still three weeks left in basketball season, but it is time to think about next school year, and begin planning in advance for what you will do. Re-enrollment is just around the corner. So let me give you a few good reasons for you to start planning for your family's return to Portersville Christian School.
First, our school is striving to be distinctively Christian. That is not just a label we want to use for promotion, it is a goal. Christian education is more than just adding Bible classes and chapel to a regular class schedule. To be distinctively Christian is to understand that God is the sovereign and all powerful creator of the universe. It isn't just something we tack on, it is something that must be integrated and blended in to everything we do. It means that we can teach our students truth, and show the source who revealed it to us.
It also means that we can create community within the school in the same way that the Holy Spirit created community in the early church. The mission and purpose of our very existence is to make disciples who will be capable and prepared to take up leadership in the Kingdom of God, and fulfill His purpose for their lives. The fact that most of our current students are actively involved in their local church, serve in missions willingly, and that many of our graduating seniors are preparing for kingdom service is evidence that this is what we are all about.
Second, our school practices academic excellence. With graduating classes achieving average scores on the SAT above the 1600 range consistently, with national merit semi-finalists and finalists in virtually every graduating class, and with achievement test scores in elementary school that average in the top quartile nationally, students at PCS are challenged to do their very best in the classroom. Our students consistently produce the highest SAT scores in this tri-county area, and go on to be admitted into many prestigious and challenging colleges and universities. As the only fully accredited, private, Christian school in three counties, you can be sure of receiving a high quality education in the same place all through high school.
The third feature of PCS is affordability. You get more for your money here, and that's not just an advertising slogan. Our spiritual life and academic standards are as high as those schools in the Pittsburgh area which charge much more. And those schools nearby which charge less are either not accredited, or do not offer as much in the way of either learning experiences or student life, such as fine arts and athletics.
A school that has been around as long as PCS has some advantages that you will not find anywhere else. The gap between achievement in public education, and in private, Christian schools like us is widening, and alternatives, like charter schools and cyber schools, are even further behind in achievement. They offer some conveniences but little to nothing in the way of academic growth or spiritual life. You already have your child enrolled in one of the best places in Western Pennsylvania to receive a well-rounded education that nourishes heart, soul and mind. Why not plan to join us next fall?
First, our school is striving to be distinctively Christian. That is not just a label we want to use for promotion, it is a goal. Christian education is more than just adding Bible classes and chapel to a regular class schedule. To be distinctively Christian is to understand that God is the sovereign and all powerful creator of the universe. It isn't just something we tack on, it is something that must be integrated and blended in to everything we do. It means that we can teach our students truth, and show the source who revealed it to us.
It also means that we can create community within the school in the same way that the Holy Spirit created community in the early church. The mission and purpose of our very existence is to make disciples who will be capable and prepared to take up leadership in the Kingdom of God, and fulfill His purpose for their lives. The fact that most of our current students are actively involved in their local church, serve in missions willingly, and that many of our graduating seniors are preparing for kingdom service is evidence that this is what we are all about.
Second, our school practices academic excellence. With graduating classes achieving average scores on the SAT above the 1600 range consistently, with national merit semi-finalists and finalists in virtually every graduating class, and with achievement test scores in elementary school that average in the top quartile nationally, students at PCS are challenged to do their very best in the classroom. Our students consistently produce the highest SAT scores in this tri-county area, and go on to be admitted into many prestigious and challenging colleges and universities. As the only fully accredited, private, Christian school in three counties, you can be sure of receiving a high quality education in the same place all through high school.
The third feature of PCS is affordability. You get more for your money here, and that's not just an advertising slogan. Our spiritual life and academic standards are as high as those schools in the Pittsburgh area which charge much more. And those schools nearby which charge less are either not accredited, or do not offer as much in the way of either learning experiences or student life, such as fine arts and athletics.
A school that has been around as long as PCS has some advantages that you will not find anywhere else. The gap between achievement in public education, and in private, Christian schools like us is widening, and alternatives, like charter schools and cyber schools, are even further behind in achievement. They offer some conveniences but little to nothing in the way of academic growth or spiritual life. You already have your child enrolled in one of the best places in Western Pennsylvania to receive a well-rounded education that nourishes heart, soul and mind. Why not plan to join us next fall?
Thursday, January 19, 2012
School Choice and where we go from here in Pennsylvania Christian Schools
I'm sure you've heard by now that Senate Bill 1, otherwise known as the "voucher proposal" or the "school choice bill" did not make it through the state legislature in any form. The expansion of EITC, which was billed as a "sure thing," also did not make it through. I'm sure that there are a wide variety of pundits and political experts who can explain why something that many politicians, including the Governor, went out on a limb to proclaim as almost a "sure thing" did not make it through the House of Representatives. There were many people within the Christian education community who believed that the political atmosphere in Pennsylvania was "never better" to get this legislation enacted. Others thought that the slow economy and the extremely tight state budget made it more difficult for legislators to consider this proposal.
Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. Psalm 146:3.
So where do we go from here?
Personally, seeing how things developed here with regard to school choice, and having observed and participated in a similar scenario in another state, with more or less the same outcome, I'm inclined to change direction just a little bit and push for expansion of EITC, rather than start another school choice/voucher initiative. EITC doesn't involve state money, which ultimately means it will not involve state control of education, either, and it is more suited to the kind of financing we need to be doing in the Christian school ministry. It allows businesses a tax break for their involvement, which is not only fair, given the tax exempt status of a Christian school, but practical, since the money goes to students who are attending the school, increasing opportunities for students to be enrolled, and benefiting the school's budget.
I think it is also time for legislators to consider all educational expenses as being tax deductible, including tuition and fees paid if the family opts to send their children to a private school. That's only fair, since the public educational monopoly gets money from everyone, including people who don't have children enrolled in them. That doesn't seem to be on the table right now, however.
I know several of our families took the time to call their state representative or senator, and voice their support for school choice in Pennsylvania. Trust me, that did not fall on deaf ears. Representative Richard Stevenson, of Grove City, who represents the district that our school is in, actually came by the campus for a visit and spent about 90 minutes visiting classes and chatting with students and teachers. He already had an appreciation and a good idea of the work we do here, and his visit helped give him an even better perspective of our value to the community.
PCS is the only fully accredited PK through 12th grade Christian School in Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties. That gives us numerous advantages in seeking out prospective students and prospective assistance in financing the education we provide. Please join me in prayer for God's leadership as we move forward to glorify him through his son. Depending on God is the only way forward.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Looking Ahead, to 2012 and Beyond
Happy New Year!
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
I don't want to take this verse out of its context. God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to his people Israel, giving them a promise for their future following the seventy years of captivity they spend in Babylon. Once that was over, they were allowed to return home. It was a new generation, given a new start and it wasn't easy. They had to contend with a lot of problems, starting with rebuilding a destroyed city with broken down walls and few resources. But they had one great advantage. God was on their side.
Christian schools are becoming increasingly important to the future of the church in America, and thus, to the future of the country as well. The public education system is becoming less and less effective in delivering a quality academic education in a safe environment for its students. An increasing number of families are seeking alternatives for their students, although there are few places they can go for both a quality education and a safe environment.
As Portersville Christian School looks ahead to 2012, and faces the future, we are committed to offering a distinctively Christian education with quality academics in a safe, Christ-centered environment. And the upcoming year provides us with a great opportunity to look ahead at the future. As we do so, it is very important for us to keep the focus on God's plans for us, and make sure that our plans are His plans. The only way I know how to do that is to pray. And I would like to ask you to join me as we pray for Portersville Christian School, looking ahead to the future.
We will be applying for renewal of our ACSI and Middle States accreditation sometime in February, and initiating the accreditation process shortly thereafter. Eventually, this process will lead to a visiting team coming in to evaluate our school's administration, faculty, curriculum, operating procedures and it's Christian mission and ministry, and will make recommendations for improvement. From there, we can expect to be accredited for eight more years of operation. That's the first big step to look at as far as the future is concerned. But I think it is important to look a little further down the road than that.
It's time for us to start looking at the future, and making plans which will carry Portersville Christian School forward for many years to come. We've weathered a deep recession fairly well, we are in good shape financially, with two positive years in a row, and a strong enrollment. Our facilities are in good shape, and we have some good assets, all of which will help us build a plan for future development that will carry the school many years into a productive future. We are at a point where we will need to make some decisions about what we want to do, and steps that we need to take to make sure the legacy of Portersville Christian School lasts into the future to serve as many generations of students as it has already served in the past.
The area around us is seeing increasing population growth and prosperity as Pittsburgh's suburbs press further north into Butler County. It is important for PCS to be in a position to offer families a distinctively Christian, quality, affordable education for their students. Please join me in prayer as we seek to remain in the center of God's will, and expand the ministry of our school so that it continues to serve for many years to come.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
I don't want to take this verse out of its context. God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to his people Israel, giving them a promise for their future following the seventy years of captivity they spend in Babylon. Once that was over, they were allowed to return home. It was a new generation, given a new start and it wasn't easy. They had to contend with a lot of problems, starting with rebuilding a destroyed city with broken down walls and few resources. But they had one great advantage. God was on their side.
Christian schools are becoming increasingly important to the future of the church in America, and thus, to the future of the country as well. The public education system is becoming less and less effective in delivering a quality academic education in a safe environment for its students. An increasing number of families are seeking alternatives for their students, although there are few places they can go for both a quality education and a safe environment.
As Portersville Christian School looks ahead to 2012, and faces the future, we are committed to offering a distinctively Christian education with quality academics in a safe, Christ-centered environment. And the upcoming year provides us with a great opportunity to look ahead at the future. As we do so, it is very important for us to keep the focus on God's plans for us, and make sure that our plans are His plans. The only way I know how to do that is to pray. And I would like to ask you to join me as we pray for Portersville Christian School, looking ahead to the future.
We will be applying for renewal of our ACSI and Middle States accreditation sometime in February, and initiating the accreditation process shortly thereafter. Eventually, this process will lead to a visiting team coming in to evaluate our school's administration, faculty, curriculum, operating procedures and it's Christian mission and ministry, and will make recommendations for improvement. From there, we can expect to be accredited for eight more years of operation. That's the first big step to look at as far as the future is concerned. But I think it is important to look a little further down the road than that.
It's time for us to start looking at the future, and making plans which will carry Portersville Christian School forward for many years to come. We've weathered a deep recession fairly well, we are in good shape financially, with two positive years in a row, and a strong enrollment. Our facilities are in good shape, and we have some good assets, all of which will help us build a plan for future development that will carry the school many years into a productive future. We are at a point where we will need to make some decisions about what we want to do, and steps that we need to take to make sure the legacy of Portersville Christian School lasts into the future to serve as many generations of students as it has already served in the past.
The area around us is seeing increasing population growth and prosperity as Pittsburgh's suburbs press further north into Butler County. It is important for PCS to be in a position to offer families a distinctively Christian, quality, affordable education for their students. Please join me in prayer as we seek to remain in the center of God's will, and expand the ministry of our school so that it continues to serve for many years to come.
Monday, December 19, 2011
How do you explain it?
Merry Christmas to you, and may the peace of God bless you and fill your heart and your house in 2012!
We're in between our elementary and high school Christmas music programs. The elementary did a great job with theirs last Thursday night, and now it is the high school's turn.
When I was in school, and I went to public school in a small town in Arizona back in the 60's and 70's, we also produced and performed a Christmas program for our parents and friends. Each class learned a song or two, the chorus classes did some special stuff, the band played carols and everyone had a great time. The auditorium would be packed with parents, friends, and people from the community who came. No one would have thought of having a Christmas season at the school without it.
Christmas was the word that was used, and we sang the carols about Jesus' coming along with some of the seasonal favorites. One of the elementary classes would act out the nativity, and other students would read the Christmas story from the Bible. Our school personnel did a great job of helping the kids who came from families that didn't celebrate Christmas feel included and not isolated.
So how do you celebrate Christmas without Christ?
How do you explain a "season" of giving, and greeting, decorating and shopping, without acknowledging why it is taking place? If Christ had not come, and we did not celebrate his birth on December 25, what explanation do we give to children who are bound to have questions about it? Is it just a time of year when everyone needs a break from school and work? Is it that businesses needed something to help boost their sales toward the end of the year? Is it that we are celebrating the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, which brings along cold weather to the northern hemisphere and summer to the southern hemisphere? And if that is what we are doing, then what does all the symbolism mean?
If you take Christ out of Christmas, there is no Christmas. And there is also no need for any of the traditions that go along with it. We might as well go about our regular business, since everything that goes along with the "holidays" has some kind of symbolic attachment or reminder about the birth of Christ. I'm sure that retailers could invent some kind of marketing gimmick to get people to spend a couple hundred dollars on merchandise at a time of the year when it is not nearly so cold, and easier to get out. Schools could move their "winter break" to a point where it actually divides the two semesters. Radio stations could continue with their regular programming, and television could get to the reruns a month earlier, since they would not have to take the time for special programming presentations.
Aren't you glad we don't do that?
I'm glad that, here at PCS, we not only celebrate the holiday, but we are able to integrate and incorporate everything about it, including the celebration of the birth of Christ, and the Biblical words about his coming, right into the middle of everything we do. I am glad we have a CHRISTMAS vacation, instead of a winter break, and that we sing songs about the birth of Christ as we gather in corporate worship of God together as a school community. I am glad that the things we put up on our walls, and the things we teach in our classroom tell our students the whole story of the birth of Jesus and everything that goes along with it.
So MERRY CHRISTMAS. I hope you encounter the Holy Spirit in your worship of God and your celebration of what he did for you through his son, Jesus, who came to us at Christmas.
We're in between our elementary and high school Christmas music programs. The elementary did a great job with theirs last Thursday night, and now it is the high school's turn.
When I was in school, and I went to public school in a small town in Arizona back in the 60's and 70's, we also produced and performed a Christmas program for our parents and friends. Each class learned a song or two, the chorus classes did some special stuff, the band played carols and everyone had a great time. The auditorium would be packed with parents, friends, and people from the community who came. No one would have thought of having a Christmas season at the school without it.
Christmas was the word that was used, and we sang the carols about Jesus' coming along with some of the seasonal favorites. One of the elementary classes would act out the nativity, and other students would read the Christmas story from the Bible. Our school personnel did a great job of helping the kids who came from families that didn't celebrate Christmas feel included and not isolated.
So how do you celebrate Christmas without Christ?
How do you explain a "season" of giving, and greeting, decorating and shopping, without acknowledging why it is taking place? If Christ had not come, and we did not celebrate his birth on December 25, what explanation do we give to children who are bound to have questions about it? Is it just a time of year when everyone needs a break from school and work? Is it that businesses needed something to help boost their sales toward the end of the year? Is it that we are celebrating the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, which brings along cold weather to the northern hemisphere and summer to the southern hemisphere? And if that is what we are doing, then what does all the symbolism mean?
If you take Christ out of Christmas, there is no Christmas. And there is also no need for any of the traditions that go along with it. We might as well go about our regular business, since everything that goes along with the "holidays" has some kind of symbolic attachment or reminder about the birth of Christ. I'm sure that retailers could invent some kind of marketing gimmick to get people to spend a couple hundred dollars on merchandise at a time of the year when it is not nearly so cold, and easier to get out. Schools could move their "winter break" to a point where it actually divides the two semesters. Radio stations could continue with their regular programming, and television could get to the reruns a month earlier, since they would not have to take the time for special programming presentations.
Aren't you glad we don't do that?
I'm glad that, here at PCS, we not only celebrate the holiday, but we are able to integrate and incorporate everything about it, including the celebration of the birth of Christ, and the Biblical words about his coming, right into the middle of everything we do. I am glad we have a CHRISTMAS vacation, instead of a winter break, and that we sing songs about the birth of Christ as we gather in corporate worship of God together as a school community. I am glad that the things we put up on our walls, and the things we teach in our classroom tell our students the whole story of the birth of Jesus and everything that goes along with it.
So MERRY CHRISTMAS. I hope you encounter the Holy Spirit in your worship of God and your celebration of what he did for you through his son, Jesus, who came to us at Christmas.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
In Between the Holidays
It seems that this school year has moved very fast, and we are already moving toward the middle of the second grading period. Basketball season is here, the varsity boys face their first game this Friday on the road and there is a full slate of games on the 6th, at home, sandwiched in between the high school and elementary chorus concerts. It's a busy time at school, and somewhere in there is some time to take care of getting ready for the holidays at home. With all of that going on, just remember that Jesus is the reason for the season, and our main purpose in life is to glorify God for this gift that was given to us. Steven Curtis Chapman has a new song out, "Do Everything," about this very thought.
As far as the school is concerned, there are plenty of opportunities to serve and give. Let me share a few needs with you.
We are still collecting for our faculty Christmas bonuses. The teachers deeply appreciate the generosity of the school community at this time of the year. If you've been a little bit blessed this year, anything you can share will be deeply appreciated.
Some volunteers are needed to help decorate the gym, and then undecorate the gym, for the elementary and high school Christmas musicals. Oh, and by the way, the high school program will be Monday at 7, and the elementary program on Thursday at 7. You don't want to miss either of those.
Our elementary staff was making good use of a copier at their end of the hall, saving them trips down the hall as well as providing some relief for our main copy machine. But it has developed some issues that either need repair, or the copier needs to be replaced. There isn't a service contract on it. If you know of a company or business that wants to get rid of one of theirs, or someone who might help service ours, we'd appreciate knowing about it.
The Skills for Living eighth grade class is in the process of redecorating the main hallway inside the main entrance and where the offices are located. They are color coordinating picture frames, re-arranging plaques, trophys and furniture, and doing a good job of brightening the appearance of the entrance to the school. There may be a few small items they could use. Watch the Weekly Transfer for a list of things they may need or contact the school office.
Thank you in advance for watching out for the needs of our school. Merry Christmas! May God abundantly bless you in the coming new year.
As far as the school is concerned, there are plenty of opportunities to serve and give. Let me share a few needs with you.
We are still collecting for our faculty Christmas bonuses. The teachers deeply appreciate the generosity of the school community at this time of the year. If you've been a little bit blessed this year, anything you can share will be deeply appreciated.
Some volunteers are needed to help decorate the gym, and then undecorate the gym, for the elementary and high school Christmas musicals. Oh, and by the way, the high school program will be Monday at 7, and the elementary program on Thursday at 7. You don't want to miss either of those.
Our elementary staff was making good use of a copier at their end of the hall, saving them trips down the hall as well as providing some relief for our main copy machine. But it has developed some issues that either need repair, or the copier needs to be replaced. There isn't a service contract on it. If you know of a company or business that wants to get rid of one of theirs, or someone who might help service ours, we'd appreciate knowing about it.
The Skills for Living eighth grade class is in the process of redecorating the main hallway inside the main entrance and where the offices are located. They are color coordinating picture frames, re-arranging plaques, trophys and furniture, and doing a good job of brightening the appearance of the entrance to the school. There may be a few small items they could use. Watch the Weekly Transfer for a list of things they may need or contact the school office.
Thank you in advance for watching out for the needs of our school. Merry Christmas! May God abundantly bless you in the coming new year.
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