September 2015 Pathfinder

SEPTEMBER 2015 Peoria Christian School SEPTEMBER 2015 The Pathfinder
Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:104
Nurture - Develop - Educate
PRAYERS
As the 2015-2016 school year is starting, there are some specific things we wanted to make
our community aware of to pray specifically for. As believers, we can rest soundly in the
power of prayer found in Ephesians 6:18, James 5:16-18, and Matthew 17:20 to list a few. In
Ephesians we are asked to continually pray, James we are told prayer is powerful and
effective, and in Matthew, faith like a mustard seed can move mountains. With these truths
in mind, Peoria Christian School would ask for prayer in the following areas: Staff,
Leadership, Students, and Facilitators.
STAFF
Please be in continual prayer for our school staff, janitors, bus drivers, teachers, secretary,
hot lunch, etc. Please pray for our staff that we will be light in a dark world and that we
would model how this is to be done for the students. Pray for their daily strength, pray God
would continue to give them health and strength to handle the long hours, and difficult
tasks. Pray for patience as they work with our students, and that they would walk in a way
that the fruit of the Spirit would be evident in their daily lives seen by all.
LEADERSHIP
Please pray for the Board, Education Committee, and Administrator. Please pray that they
would seek God’s wisdom as they help govern the school. Pray for guidance as they seek the
best for our school.
STUDENTS
Please pray for our students that they would daily seek after God and the truths found in
scripture. Pray that they will be open to correction, reproof, and instruction in righteousness.
Pray that they will daily be refreshed, able to grow in true wisdom as it is instructed on a
daily basis at school. Pray that God would put a hedge of protection around them, guarding
them from false truth.
FACILITATORS
Please pray for our facilitators that give up time every week to help make the educational
process at Peoria Christian School possible. Without them, our philosophy of learning would
not exist. These facilitators play such an integral part of our system that without them it
would be difficult to effectively teach. Please pray that God would send the remaining
facilitators needed to complete our schedule. We have several spots open this year and we
are trusting that God will fill these openings.
Pray, please pray daily as we strive to deliver a personalized learning to develop a Christcentered worldview for the glory of God alone! ---Craig Rapinchuk
Let Your Light Shine: M atthew 5:16 “In the sam e way, let your light shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
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Peoria Christian School Circle Minutes
August 27, 2015
-Lisa V opened with devotions
-Members present: Lisa Ver Meer, Nicki Veenstra, Ruth Vande
Voort, Marla Van Der Hart, Linda Franje, Barb Vande Voort
-Minutes from May 21, 2015 meeting were reviewed
-School Circle General Fund starting balance is $7,842.95 and
ending balance is $8,825.60
-Welcome new members – Barb Vande Voort (society member)
and Suzy Veenstra (K-4 mother). Thank you to exiting members
(Lisa and Sandy).
-Board Requests- none at this time
-Kitchen/Hot Lunch
Going well- ready for the new year
Looking for volunteers to help serve
Looking for beef donations (meat is expensive)
-Sub Sandwiches: Committee – Marla Van Der Hart and Marcia
Van Gorp.
Two kinds of subs (Ham/Turkey, Ham/Pella Bologna)
$2.50 per sandwich or $30 for a baker’s dozen (13).
Orders due Sept 14th
Make the subs Sept 30th (start at 12:15 when school is out)
-Tractor Ride Report– Lyn V, Ruth DB and Pam K
Profit is $997.08 - lots of hats left for $10
32 tractors and a wagon full of children/adults
Thanks to Sully Truck Wash for the pit stop
Thanks to Skunk River Restoration for the bottle water
-Bazaar 2015: Nov 6th
Co-Chairs – Lisa Ver Meer and Heidi Van Wyk.
Theme: Winter Wonders, Job 37:5-7b, 14b
Supper Committee: Suzy Veenstra and Pam Klyn
Child Care – Need a volunteer to coordinate this
Decorations – Heidi Van Wyk
Coffee Time – Lyn Veenstra
Bake Sale – Barb Vande Voort
-Auditing
School Circle – Kim and Lyn - Done
Hot Lunch – Ruth and Lisa
Labels for Education – Sandy and Linda - Done
-Labels for Education
Crystal has resigned-at this time no replacement is needed
There are volunteers that help
-New officers
President – Nicki Veenstra
Secretary – Marla Van Der Hart
Treasurer – Ruth Vande Voort
-Next Meeting – Date/Time: October 15, 2015 at 5:30 pm
Devotions: Ruth Vande Voort
The Peoria Christian School Board met
August 10, 2015 for a Special Meeting. President Jeff
Vander Molen read Philippians 1:9-10 and opened the
meeting with prayer. All members were present except
for Craig
Rapinchuk and Drew Van Wyk with notice.
SEPTEMBER 2015 Items of business:
-Jeff and Adam reported on the discussion and
proposal from the task force for Christian Education
in our area.
-The proposal from the task force was to have all of
the Christian Grade Schools join The Legacy of Grace
Christian School System.
-The board passed a motion to postpone any vote on
the proposal due to the lack of information for the
proposal and the concerns we had with the proposal.
-We sent our concerns and questions back to the task
force to be answered and addressed.
-Meeting was adjourned.
Adam Fynaardt closed with prayer.
Respectfully submitted,
Dean Vander Wilt, Secretary
The Peoria Christian School Board met September 8,
2015. The Board sang from Psalter Hymnal 292 and
President Jeff Vander Molen read Psalm 8 and opened the
meeting with prayer. All members were present. Items of
business:
-Craig reported that the Student Handbook has been
renamed to the Parent/Student Handbook.
-Craig reported on the chapel speakers this year.
-Craig reported that more facilitators are needed for this year.
-From the Education Committee, the Board approved the
facilitator/sub list for this year.
-From the Education Committee, the Board approved the
field trip list for this year.
-Finance committee reported that the June Drive was
$23,150.00.
-Building Committee reported that a workday was held in
August to prepare the building for school.
-Building Committee reported that the school’s air
conditioning was fixed.
-Building Committee reported that the security system has to
be installed.
-Tech Committee reported that the school implemented
Google for Education this year.
-Tech Committee reported that a new router was installed at
school.
-Board discussed the Staff/Board Supper on September 12th.
-Jeff reported on robotics class opportunity for an after school
program. This will be voluntary for students in 5th – 8th grade.
Parents to contact Craig or Jeff if interested.
-Meeting was adjourned and Jim closed with prayer.
Respectfully submitted,
Dean Vander Wilt, Secretary
2 Peoria Christian School It has been a fantastic summer and as it transitions into fall, I am yet again reminded of God’s glorious creation and power. In Kindergarten, we are learning about butterflies but specifically the Monarch butterfly. We spend time learning about the butterfly’s characteristics, but also about the amazing metamorphoses that the caterpillar goes through to become that beautiful butterfly. It is a fun science unit to teach because it teaches students about God’s miraculous creation and the intricacies of it. One of our favorite things has been finding symmetry not only in the butterfly, but also in His creation. We have one caterpillar that we watched transition into its chrysalis! We also have one caterpillar that will hopefully be making its chrysalis soon! We document each day what is happening with our caterpillars/chrysalis’. It will be exciting when we get to meet our butterflies! -­‐-­‐Mrs. Veenstra SEPTEMBER 2015 In Kindergarten we are working on the fundamentals of reading,
starting with learning the letter names and sounds. It is fun to see the
students gain confidence as they become better at writing and letter
recognition. We will continue to work on counting and recognizing
numbers. I am looking forward to see what this year brings in our
class! Mrs. Veenstra
Fifth and Sixth Grade
Along with the basic
subjects of grammar, vocabulary,
spelling, and math, we are reading
through Across Five Aprils in fifth
and sixth grade literature class. In
our Bible class we are
studying about some
of the stories and
other types of writing
in the Pentateuch. In
seventh and eighth
grade science we are
studying about
matter, forces, and
energy. Mrs. Fynaardt
First/Second Grade
We have had a wonderful start to our school year! The first week of
school we read some books about characters that were worried or
nervous about the first day of school, such as First Day Jitters, Curious
George's First Day of School and Chrysanthemum. We may have been
worried about starting a new school year, but everyone has adjusted
very well. We know that God is always there to help us when we are
worried or afraid. Mrs. Van Wyk In 3/4 we are learning about how to write complete
sentences. The students are learning how to restate
the questions by using good grammar and complete
thoughts. Also, we are learning about the different
kinds of sentences with proper punctuation. The
children learned the wonderful ability of speech
from God to express our language. Please practice
with them at home. Mrs. Van Walbeek
Classroom Updates
5th-­8th grade band and choir students are starting to prepare their music for the Fall Music Festival! They will join the other District V schools on November 5th at PCHS. Mrs. Ansley In 7th/8th grade literature, we are reading the adventure novel, Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson. For history, we will be studying the rise of Islam and the Byzantine Empire during A.D. 500-­‐950. In 5th/6th grade science, we are looking at God’s creation in rocks and minerals. Ms. Kraayenbrink 3 Peoria Christian School SEPTEMBER 2015 Library News
CALENDAR
SEPTEMBER
Stepping Stones Bookstore in Grinnell
September 16 12:15 Dismissal; Teacher In-Service
and Marshalltown are collecting used
Christian and family friendly books
September 17 Mrs. Hanthorn
(adult and children). With each book
September 21 TRIP Orders Due
collected the school will receive $1
September 21 Ed Committee Meeting
toward a purchase of new books in
their store. Any books that you have
September 22 School Pictures
to donate please bring to the school
September 24 Uncle Bills K-2
office. This is an ongoing project, so
September 25 Chapel, 8:30 a.m.
bring your books anytime!
September 30 12:15 Dismissal; Heartland
Thank you!!!
September 30 Sub Sandwich Making and Pick-Up
The June/Summer Drive
OCTOBER
raised $23,150 this year.
We want to thank the
October 1-2
No School; Heartland
society for their generous
October 5
TRIP Orders Due
support for this drive.
October 5
Board Meeting
Without your help we would
not be able to keep the cost
October 7
12:15 Dismissal; Teacher In-Service
of education down for the
October 15
Neil Smith Field Trip – Tentative
parents who send their
October 16
1:15 Dismissal; End of Quarter
children to our school.
October 19
TRIP Orders Due
October 19
Ed Committee Meeting
We Need Facilitators!
October 22
Mrs. Hanthorn
If you can help in the
classroom for 25 minutes
October 23
Chapel, 8:30 a.m.
a week, please contact
October 23
Report Cards Going Home
the school office. We
October 28
PCHS Musical – Tentative
also are still in need of
Sub Orders are
October 29
11:30 Dismissal; PTC
more subs to fill in when
due September
th
October
30
No
School;
PTC
14 . Contact the
facilitators are sick and
school office.
out of town.
Fall Bazaar
Peoria Christian School’s annual bazaar is quickly approaching, and we are busy making
plans and looking for donations to make this event a success for our school.
So please save the date and plan to join us on November 6, 2015.
This year’s theme is “Winter Wonders” with Job 37:14b as the verse to go along with it “Stop and consider God’s wonders.”
As in past years, each classroom will have a special “homemade” type donation to add to
the auction. In addition to that, each classroom will also have a themed basket to auction
off. Parents will be asked to bring one or two items to help fill the basket. Once the
teachers and students have their theme picked out there will be more details to come!
Thank-you for helping make this fundraiser a success!
4 If you have any questions you can contact Lisa Ver Meer or Heidi Van Wyk.