Spreading God's Love

First grade always begins the year with an important Bible memory verse from 1 John 3:1, which reads, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"

In order to illustrate the word "lavish" and ensure learning at a deeper level, teachers bring in some homemade strawberry jam. Mrs. Wilson shares:

It is so delicious that I lavish it onto a piece of bread and continue to take bites in front of the kids, talking about how yummy it is, and letting it drip onto my plate. Of course, they want to try some too, and it is so good that I can't keep it just for myself. Everyone gets to try a piece of bread lavished with homemade jam.

The essential lesson is that God lavishes His love on His children. He doesn't hold back! His love overflows and He spreads it out generously. Once we receive this love, what can we do in response? We spread it to others because it is too good to keep just for ourselves!

Teachers brainstorm with students ways to spread God’s love in day-to-day living: holding the door open for others, praying for each other, hugging our moms, making cards for friends who are sick, and making short video greetings for those who have been sick. As the year continues, they will connect more learning with the actions of spreading love to others. The hope is that students are inspired to do things on their own. Ultimately, students find that spreading God's love creates joy for both the giver and the receiver!

Mrs. Wilson’s deep hope is that the children will always remember Jesus' lavish love for them, and that they will spread His love as they learn and grow. Teachers pray that this messy, yummy treat will "stick" with each child, reminding them of God's sweet and lavish love.

How to Find the Best Preschool or Kindergarten

Wondering about the preschool or kindergarten registration process? Check out this short video below

We highly recommend touring or visiting schools, asking all your questions (not knowing everything is normal), and saving the date registration opens.

Reminder, some of our classes will fill on January 11, so if you are interested in BCCS, contact us today! We are happy to help as you look for the right place for your son or daughter!

Fixed on Christ, Living His Story

We are very excited to share our school verse and school storyline (formerly known as theme) for this year. Teachers, staff, and students partner to select the verse, storyline, and a visual representation that will provide an important focus for the school year. The verse is Hebrews 12:1-2 and the storyline is “Fixed On Christ, Living His Story.”

Hebrews reads: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” 

The verse serves as a Biblical call to focus on God’s Word. “Fixed on Christ” promotes a rhythm of looking to scripture and standing firm in truth. We were also intentional about using the word “story.” Each student, family member, and staff member is living a personal journey within God’s redemptive story. While we each discover our individual abilities and passions, we seek to engage in God’s story, for His glory. Our deep desire is to invite our students into that journey of discovery and engagement. Their learning should lead to a deeper understanding of God's story and also inspire action and service. Christ was the ultimate example of how to live, and we want our students to also be empowered to live like Him. 

The storyline will guide school chapels and middle school small groups, but will also connect well with each individual classroom. Teachers will display storyboards so students can visually connect everyday learning to God’s larger story. 

Let the excitement ensue! Consider how BCCS’s 2021-2022 storyline might also encourage your family and children to fix your minds on Biblical teachings and find ways to engage in God’s story!

Children of the King

One of the most important things we can help our kindergarten students learn is who they are in Christ. Check out this great letter from one of our teachers as she partners with parents to ensure our students know they are unique children of the King!!

Dear Parents,

It has been an absolute delight to get to know your precious children over the first weeks of school.  Part of my deep hope is that your kids will know they belong to God and because of His great love for us, He calls us His children. What a joy to share this truth from God’s word!

This week we are focusing on the word UNIQUE.  I can already tell many ways that each of the children in my class are unique, but I would like your help with something. On the paper I am sending with this sheet, could you please write some things that make your child unique? 

“My deep hope is that you will know that you are a UNIQUE Child of the King, set apart to serve God and others in work and play.”

— Cathy: Kindergarten Teacher

I think this is a great discussion to have with your child about the things that set him/her apart. It is affirming for them to know that you notice and value the ways that they are a unique part of your family. Just writing some bullet points under their name is fine (It would be great if you as parents could do the writing). I would like to hang these around our bulletin board in the classroom and read them to the children. It will be cool to discuss the ways God created us to be unique. 

Please send them back to school in your child’s folder when you are finished.  I appreciate your help with this and value the role I get to play as your child’s teacher this year. Each day they bring me so much joy! We have become like a little family, and they truly love and care for each other and show God’s love to me and one another on a daily basis. I’ve been so blessed by each of them! 

In Him,

Cathy

A Look at Learning

Jenna Oetman, 4th-grade teacher at BCCS, shares the following note from one of her days teaching last week.

In science, we have been discussing animals and their habitats. Today, we explored our schoolyard habitat to find animals that live in this environment. As they were coming back inside after listening to and drawing many animals, Noah shared "I never noticed how many animals lived at our school. You just have to look". Many students agreed with him.

I asked them what that reminded them of (looking closely at things), and they said our school storyline of being fixed on Jesus! A student shared "sometimes we don't notice God's miracles or what he is doing for us, but we need to be fixed on him". 

This led to a great discussion of how if we open our eyes to other neighbors in our environment (other than small animals!), we may notice a friend in need. Sometimes the most important learning takes place even in a simple science activity!

What is Winning?

Read the following reflection from Laurie G, one of our teachers at BCCS!

On my first day of student teaching at a rural high school, I went to meet the school’s seasoned teachers while following my mentor teacher into the lunchroom. As I stepped in and nervously smiled, a teacher boisterously yelled across the room to my supervisor, “Wait, you're telling me you need another teacher to roll out a ball?” This comment was followed by raucous laughter. I remember my cheeks turning as red as my hair and I looked around hopefully for someone to defend my newly chosen profession.

I have been teaching in various capacities since 1996 and while I have taught children sports skills, I have also taught social skills like kindness, perseverance, integrity, courage, empathy, discipline, patience, and resourcefulness. Every day I get to encourage my students to practice what my Calvin University professors outlined in my Physical Education teacher training; “share, care and play fair.” However, have I thought about what story my classroom will tell? Have I conveyed my deep hope? Have I taught character and social skills with the same vigor as physical/sport skills? Here is where I take a step back and pause to reflect on the bigger goal; telling a Baraka kind of story.

My hope has always been that my students are seeing what is valued in our class; kindness not competition wins. I believed that by being a caring and empathetic teacher, my students would learn these character traits almost through some sort of sweaty, gym osmosis. More than anything else, I want my students to learn how to be a good person. But really, I want them to be so much more than good. I want them to have strong, Godly-character. I want them to be people who have confidence, show responsibility, lead others well, participate in community, be a good steward of the gifts and abilities they have been given, and be like Christ. These “wants” require a growth mindset and healthy habits of learning. I’m hoping the story my classroom will tell is that being Christ-like is “winning” and that honoring God with our bodies is good, holy work. I hope that my students understand that they are all valuable in our gym just like they are all crucial in God’s story. They have an important role that only they can play in this larger story.

What I thought would come very naturally to my students typically doesn’t and let’s be honest, some families seem to be living their own “Babel story.” The competing stories of having to always be the best, never losing, winning no matter what even if you have to cheat, and promoting your own abilities over someone elses are distracting at times and completely overpowering at others. The story that physical education isn’t as important as the “core classes” can be disheartening and discouraging but I look forward to inviting all of my students to join in a “Blessing-God Story'' in our gym and will do so with a reckless, hopeful heart.

Find God's Calling

The Center for the Advancement of Christian Education recently published a blog entitled “Why We Love Career and Technical Education-Part One.” In it, Tim Van Soelen shares “If we are serious about bringing restoration in the fields of health care, business, law, the arts, media, politics, hospitality, etc., we need to think about what it means to do all our work to and for the glory of God.”

When we consider the importance of Christian education, one of the reasons is because we are striving to help our students explore MANY ways to bring restoration to the world. All of us are unique and have been given unique abilities. Can we challenge our students to use them for God’s glory?

Read the full article below!

Congratulations Class of 2021!

God’s Got This! That was our school theme for this past year and something we trust our 8th grade graduates know as they leave BCCS. Over the last 18 months, this group of students have experienced a global pandemic that impacted the entire world, but also changed their learning and their lives. Proverbs 3: 5-6 was the verse they chose for the year and served as an important reminder to trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding during a time of great uncertainty. In a year like no student has experienced before, our students continued to lean on the Lord to guide their paths. 

On the evening of June 3, we celebrated this group of students and the work God is doing in their lives. Parents, grandparents, and friends enjoyed an outdoor graduation with student performances, student speakers and teachers sharing about each individual graduate. We are so grateful for the time each student has had at BCCS. 

We praise God for a successful school year. We pray that our students will continue to find their place in God’s story and use their gifts to serve Him!

Unique Abilities

Every classroom teacher at BCCS formulates a deep hope for their students, designed to convey what they most desire for their students. 

A few examples include: “My deep hope is that each child would know God’s lavish love for them in Jesus, and would spread that love to others using the unique gifts God has given them.” Another reads, “My deep hope for my students is that they would marvel at our Creator, serve Him joyfully, and use their God given gifts to be shining lights in this world.” Yet another teacher shares, “My deep hope for my students is that they will begin to understand God's deep love for them and be inspired to learn about God’s world and their place in His story.”  

In a 2nd grade classroom, one hope reads, “Our deep hope is that our students discover their role in God’s wonderful rescue story and use their unique abilities to be joyful workers in His world.”

A key element of that hope mentions unique abilities, which refers to talents and skills God has given each of us. In order for students to gain an understanding of their own abilities, teachers designed a project where they created a visual showing segments of the brain.Students filled in the sections with their unique abilities. It helped show students that while we are all part of one community, God has created us all in a unique way in order to grow His kingdom. 

After the projects, teachers challenged students. “Now that you’ve identified your unique abilities, how do you use them to impact our world for God?” If God has given us these gifts, He has also asked us to use them. Kids brainstormed a wide range of ideas. Some students were writers, so they wrote Get Well cards for a neighbor. Other students were good friends, so they watched for others on the playground that may be lonely. Still others used their math minds to explain difficult concepts to struggling learners.

Every child at BCCS is unique, and they all have many abilities. Our job is to help them discover those gifts and also provide opportunities to use them! 

Tackling the Technology Challenge

Now that laptops, tablets, and cell phones are being more prevalently used in today’s households, it is a good idea to look at parent controls for your home. Protect Young Eyes is a great resource for parents as they help families stay safe online. A 2020 post on the best parental control software shares vital insight in that “intentional, curious, consistent, caring conversations about everything, including technology, are the most effective parental controls you could ever use.” Parent involvement is the key to internet safety.

However, they also review and suggest many great parental controls for the home. Their highest-rated software was Bark, but they provide other suggestions as well. You can read the full review here.

Parents, Protect Young Eyes can be a great resource for online safety at home. Their website has many helpful tips on a variety of content areas. Please note that it also covers very real content as it relates to online safety. Check out their site for some helpful ideas or insight on specific websites/social media apps!