parent update - John Knox Christian School

PARENT UPDATE
2010 - 2011 Theme:
‘May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.’
2 Corinthians 13 v. 14
April 7, 2011
Upcoming Dates:
Fri. Apr. 8
PA Day – no school for students
Mon. Apr. 11
Redeemer Science Fair Competition (for the winners of our JKCS Science Fair)
Tues. Apr. 12
First Popcorn Toonie Tues. ($2 at snack recess)
Wear any hat/headgear with author’s name on it for “Reading Week”
Redeemer Science Fair Competition (for the winners of our JKCS Science Fair)
Program Committee Meets 7:30pm
Wed. Apr. 13
Dress as your favourite book character for “Reading Week”
Prayer & Praise Assembly
Thurs. Apr. 14
Pray for Battle of the Books as they “battle” in Kitchener competition
JK & SK class trip to pet store
Fri. Apr. 15
Dress in ‘comfy-read-on-the-couch’ clothes for “Reading Week”
Mon. Apr. 18
Open House for prospective new parents (Tell your Christian Friends) 7:30-8:30pm
Wed. Apr. 20
Mom’s Night Out at Marble Slab Creamery (7:30 pm 155 Lakeshore Rd W)
Fri. Apr. 22
Mon. Apr. 25
Good Friday (school closed)
Easter Monday (school closed)
If you LOVE JKCS… tell a friend!
Our own parents are the very best advertisement for our wonderful school!
Ponderings from our Principal
I have had a number of conversations about clothing recently. Those conversations made me think about how
strange clothing is. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that we need to wear clothing, but I am curious why certain
items are in fashion or are worn at all.
For example, I wear a necktie on most days. A quick search about its history tells me that the necktie evolved from
an item called the cravat which was used as a bib. While I realize that today’s necktie is used for decorative
purposes, its history leads me to believe that I should use it to clean up my spills while eating.
Different parts of the world also have different expectations for dress. What is seen as glamorous and fashionable
here in Canada is seen as something quite different in parts of Africa. I find it fascinating that each region of the
world, certain countries, and even specific towns and villages will have a history and a set of expectations regarding
appropriate clothing. Within cities or towns in the same country, dress expectations will vary. From home to home
within Oakville we will see differences. I can imagine that not all John Knox families would have the same clothing
guidelines for their children.
Clothing issues have hit the news recently. A clothing chain was highlighted because of their attempt to make
young girls develop fake, mature physical characteristics through padding that comes with the top. A recent
protest march took issue with a police officer and judge who suggested that what girls wear contributes to some of
the sexual assaults.
Student uniforms solve part of the issue for us at John Knox. Students, parents, and staff all know what is expected
for dress. When we have fun, theme dress days the students have guidelines in place for what to wear.
So even though clothing may not be a big issue here at our school, it is an area of life that we need to analyze. We
need to develop a set of questions that will help filter what is appropriate and what is not. Questions such as
“What does my clothing communicate to those who look at me?” “Which parts of my body should be or may be
shown in order to present myself well?” or “”How does what I am wearing reflect respect for my God, my
neighbour, and myself?”
Trust me, I don’t have all the clothing issues figured out. But I do know that we
need to wrestle with those and other questions as we teach our children about
appropriate dress. May the Lord be with you as you journey down that road.
In Christ,
Mr. G. Petrusma
Principal
Watch for the April edition of “The Journey” Newsletter coming to your email inbox soon!
Gather your Golfing Friends
& Sign Up for our
th
Sat. June 4 Golf Tournament!
7am
8am
12pm
Warm Up
Shotgun Start Tee-off
Lunch & Live Auction
Registration Forms available on our website: www.jkcs-oakville.org
and were sent home in backpacks.
Invite some non-JKCS friends to introduce them to our wonderful
school & community!
&
On-Line Auction
May 2 – June 3
We need donations/sponsors for both events!
Please contact: Paula Stubbert ([email protected])
DON’T FORGET...
…to purchase our JKCS Shop & Support gift cards to do your shopping for DAILY
household and entertaining needs!
Where can YOU shop & support your school??
(Are you
? Are you buying your
Tim Horton’s gift cards through us???)
Everyday Living Becomes Everyday Giving…
GET IN THE HABIT, JKCS!
Questions? Read the “How Does it Work?” info on our RenWeb site (under “Resource Documents”), contact JAN COOPER (email at
[email protected]) or stop by our morning kiosk in the Lobby.
Don’t forget that you can submit your orders ONLINE through our school website (under the Fundraising tab)!
Spelling Bee – Saturday April 9th
Starting at 9am and going ALL day, is this year’s Spelling Bee Competition!
Come on out and cheer on our team at Glenburnie (9th Line & Upper Middle).
Mom's night out!
Wed April 20th @ 7:30 meet at Marble Slab Creamery for dessert.
It's located at 155 Lakeshore Rd W in Oakville on the north side. If it's good
weather we'll stroll the street and chat.
Come celebrate spring with us!
Please RSVP to Lori @ [email protected] so she can plan accordingly.
Writing Contest
Christian Courier magazine is pleased to announce its second
annual Writing Contest. Our children's contest is open to Grades
3-8. Original stories by your students (minimum 500 words) can
be sent to [email protected] by May 1, 2011, for a
chance to win a gift certificate to Toys'R'Us and to be published
in Christian Courier.
Adults are also invited to submit original short stories (between 1000-3000 words) to [email protected] by
May 1, 2011. First place wins $100 and second place a gift subscription to CC. All entries will be considered for
publication in CC.
REPORT FROM THE BOARD
John Knox Christian School
Oakville, Ontario
March 31 2011
Dear JKCS members, it’s hard to believe that spring is
finally here and the first three months of 2011 are already
behind us. We trust that you and your family are looking
forward to a new spring and summer season and all the
joys that the warmer weather will bring! In response to
feedback we have received, we thought it would be a
good idea to regularly share (every three months or so) a
short report from the board, so that the membership is
aware of the things that are taking place on board level.
This is the first of these reports that you can now expect
to see on a regular basis!
As a board we meet together once a month. With the exception of the chair and the secretary, each board
member also sits on a school committee such as Finance, Information Technology (IT), Membership and
Admissions, Building and Maintenance to name a few. At each board meeting, the board members who sit on
these committees share a short report to the board regarding what is going on at their respective committees.
From time to time, a committee will ask the Board to make a decision on an issue that requires board input,
which the Board will do at the monthly meeting. It is always amazing to me to hear about the amount of work
that the members of these committees do and the passion that these volunteers have for the school. They do
an excellent job, with serving hearts, often behind the scenes with most of us unaware of the sacrifices that
they make. If you know a committee member make sure that you thank him or her the next time you see
them! In addition to committee reports at board meetings we receive a report from the Principal and we
discuss any matters that have arisen since the last meeting that requires board input. Most importantly, we
spend time in devotions and prayer to open and close our meetings.
Below is a short summary of highlights over the past three months:
January
1. The board arrived at the meeting to find a beautifully laid out array of cheese, meats, crackers and other
goodies set out for us by the teachers along with many cards. This was a thank you from the teachers in
response to a small Christmas gift that the school was able to give to each teacher at Christmas time.
2. The results of a formal three month performance review of our Principal, George Petrusma carried out by
the Human Resources Committee were received. The results of the review were outstanding with the only
concern being that George needs to ensure take steps to ensure that he does not allow himself to burn out.
(He seems to have taken this concern seriously, based on his recent short holiday to Mexico!).
3. Among the committee reports that were received was a report from the IT committee regarding ongoing
efforts at upgrading the sound system and the long term plan to look at upgrading technology available to the
staff. The board also received information from the Building and Maintenance Committee regarding upgrades
to the heating system and outdoor maintenance issues.
4. We also discussed JKCS membership applications and criteria. It was emphasized that it was important that
JKCS members be of the Christian faith. The diverse nature of the Christian backgrounds of our membership
was also celebrated.
February
1. George Petrusma shared about new families that were coming to the school and about families that were
planning to move away from the school based work related factors. The positive vibe in the school and growth
of relationships between teachers, staff and students was also recognized.
2. Fundraising activities were discussed including the success of the Bowl-a-thon that not only raised money
for the school but also built school spirit.
3. A new custodial structure was discussed for the next school year.
4. Our treasurer also lead an in depth discussion regarding enrolment, finance and tuition rates both at JKCS
and at Christian high schools in the area.
March
1. The board had further discussion about enrolment numbers, bussing and related financial implications.
Enrolment numbers for next year are lower than optimum, but that is typical for this time of year. The
financial statements for 2009-10 were presented and discussed. The dialogue at the board regarding these
issues will continue for the next several meetings as the numbers for next year become more certain. Teacher
contracts for the 2011-12 school year were also discussed.
2. We discussed the positive impact of school sports and the valuable contribution of volunteer coaches from
the staff and school community at large. A decision was made to craft a formal policy regarding coaches and
student participation in school sports.
3. We also discussed the importance of the weekly parent update that Jennifer Bergner faithfully sends out. It
is so important to stay connected as a school community! Events such as the Boston Pizza family dinner,
Moms coffee breaks, and class socials are a great way to spend time to get to know each other.
4. Nominations for new board members for the 2011-12 school year were also discussed.
As a board, with God’s help and guidance, we will continue to do our very best to serve the school and you,
the JKCS membership. Please do not hesitate to contact me or any other board member if you have any
questions or comments.
Kind regards,
Derek Maat
JKCS Board Secretary
April 11-15
-Hear interesting reading facts during announcements!!
-Wear
any head gear/hat with your favourite book
title/author attached to it. Be creative!!
Dress up as your favourite book character!! Be
creative and have fun!! Have your class guess who
you are!!
Pray for the Battle of the Books Team!
We are off for a competition in Kitchener and will compete against
about 6 other Christian schools. Pray for our safety and for a great
time as we “battle” with the other teams.
Silent Reading for 30 minutes as a whole school!
Dress down day- reading represents curling up with
a book on the couch… so this is dress down daytrack pants, non-ripped jeans, etc.
A Special Alumnus Birthday Party - April 30th 6:30pm
This year Caleb Sawh (an alumnus of JKCS) and Taylor Pedde turn 17. They have
decided to forego a birthday party and gifts in order to raise funds for [freethem], an initiative that is helping to raise awareness and to fight human
trafficking, locally and around the world.
To support this initiative they are holding a fundraising event on Saturday, April 30, 6:30 to 10:30 pm. It
will be held at Kings Christian Collegiate (528 Burnhamthorpe Road) in Oakville. It is located at the corner
of Burnhamthorpe and Neyagawa. Follow Burnhamthorpe west past Winston Churchill, past Trafalgar
until you get to Neyagawa. It is the only building on the south west corner.
Tickets are $10 to attend. There will be music and entertainment, a silent auction and raffles. Finger foods
and soft drinks will be provided.
How can you help make a difference? Purchase tickets. Attend the event. Donate. Help us raise
awareness and rescue victims of this modern day slave trade. Contact us at [email protected] to
purchase tickets.
Sorry! No PD Day care for April 8th
So sorry, due to some maintenance of the school, the Millers will be unable to offer
their usual amazing PD child care program on the upcoming April 8th PD day.
Our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.
This week’s great shots from our Sr. Boys Floor Hockey Tournament & an impromptu jazz band concert!