February News and Events
Richmond Christian School Dedication
Richmond Christian School recently dedicated their new Secondary Campus Phase 2 building. All three campuses, with more than 1,000 students, gathered together and worshipped in celebration of God’s faithfulness in providing this much needed space. The new Phase 2 building provides seven more classrooms, two office spaces and an additional outdoor patio area for students.
Indonesia International Baccalaureate Connection
Darren Spyksma traveled with a group from White Rock Christian Academy in November, to visit a thriving Christian school system in Indonesia that intentionally designs programs focused on a Biblical worldview. Darren presented a proD workshop on integrating the International Baccalaureate curriculum and Biblical worldview. He found it moving to see the passion for Christian education so evident in the staff of a school half a world away.
SCSBC Learning Leaders
Learning Leaders from across the province met in December at TWU with Directors of Learning Greg Gerber and Darren Spyksma. They engaged in a working session identifying educational practices that do not honour students, made plans for further working sessions, and heard highlights of the provincial government’s initiatives for redevelopment of the provincial curriculum.
Mount Cheam Christian School Building Project
The concrete is poured. The walls are up. Even the roof is on and it is dry inside! Mount Cheam Christian School is thankful to the Lord for providing the financial, material, and personnel needs for their building project, which will add eight classrooms, a library, a science lab, student lounges, common areas, and administration offices. The project is on track and they look forward to moving in over the summer of 2015, the Lord willing. “Ebenezer, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.” 1 Samuel 7:12b
SCSBC Educational Support Services Resource Directory
The requirement for schools to develop a vast number of policies, procedures, guidelines and forms that are necessary to provide an Educational Support Services (ESS) program is a daunting task for an independent school. To support our schools in this process, SCSBC has developed an online platform for sharing sample documents that can be adapted by SCSBC school boards, administrators and coordinators to suit each school’s unique program. Special Education and Learning Assistance Coordinators attended networking meetings in December for an orientation to this new online members-only ESS Resource Directory.
Expeditionary Learning Conference
In early December, SCSBC Directors of Learning Darren Spyksma and Greg Gerber along with the rest of the Standing Committee of Learning for Christian Schools Canada travelled to Boston to take a deep look into the practices of Expeditionary Learning (EL) and to engage with national learning projects. At the national conference, they were immersed in the EL student-honouring approaches to educating, and took an inspiring tour of New Covenant Christian School, which engages with EL practice in a distinctively Christian manner.