Christmas in Heaven

All three of our first grade classrooms share a storyline of “Spread God’s Love.” A storyline’s primary purpose is to create a link between the curriculum and God’s story. 

Recently, a member of our community had their daughter pass away, who was a former BCCS student. First grade teacher Cindy Coffey shares:

“We wanted to encourage a family that was grieving the loss of their precious child, Julianne, who was 19 when she went to heaven. In our classroom, we discussed what we think heaven may be like and wrote about it. Using our writing skills, we turned our thoughts into a book that each student helped to create. Students were also beauty creators as they illustrated their words with such detailed, colorful pictures. Julianne’s mother came to our classroom this winter to receive this special book the students had made to encourage the family and bring them joy during the holiday season.”

Mrs. Coffey also invited her students’ families into the experience by sending a copy of the book home with each student. She shared with parents, “The letter inside the book is written to a certain family, but you may choose to write a personal note to another grieving person and bless them with the treasured writings of our children. We pray that the copy of the book that we send home today will prompt some wonderful conversations about the joys we will experience in heaven some day.”

Learning what the Bible says about heaven is important, and supporting those experiencing grief is essential. There is no right or easy way to walk through the passing of a family member, but the truth the first graders shared about heaven is a genuine comfort. 

Signs that Encourage

Preschool is a joy-filled, wonderful place. Enter one of our preschool classrooms and you will be greeted with happy children soaking up all kinds of learning and experiences. They learn so much at the ages of three and four!

One of the most important things students will learn in our programs is that Jesus loves them. Teachers share about His love and also the love their family has for them. As the year continues, they challenge students with “Jesus loves you; now, know it and SHOW IT.”  

Teachers work to provide experiences for students to know it and show it. Recently, Michele Vieu connected her class with one of her friends who had a few health struggles this fall. Mrs. Vieu and her class prayed for her and created signs to encourage her. After she recovered, she sent a video thanking the students (which they loved). The students have continued to pray for Mrs. Vieu’s friend. 

This experience deepened their learning during the preschool unit about signs. Students learned how signs help and who works with signs. They learned that symbols and words have meaning and that they can use tools to make signs. More importantly, students learned they can make new friends, they can pray, and they can encourage others. 

A student reflected, “I didn't know Erica, but now I do and I want to pray for her.” Another shared, “I didn’t know I could write my own sign to help someone, but now I did.” Still another said, “I wanted to take it home for my mom but I gave it to Erica because she needs it.

We want to do everything we can to ensure the highest quality learning environment for our preschool students, but also ensure they know how much Jesus loves them and that they can show it!

Step Up to the Plate

Laurie Guikema, one of our BCCS Physical Education (PE) teachers, shares this about her classroom this school year:

My Storyline is “Step Up to the Plate in PE.”  I have played softball competitively since I was in 5th grade, so including a ball diamond in my Storyline only seemed to make sense. To continue the baseball metaphor, the most important position is the pitcher, God. He is the center of our class and is the one who gets to throw out every first pitch. God is the one who initiates any change in my students’ hearts. The students’ job is to simply step up to the plate and get swinging. Students can honor God with their bodies, learn how to love to move, and learn to be kind to others in all cooperative play.

I ask my students, “What does it mean to step up to the plate in PE, in our school, in your immediate family, and in our community?” I hope that the discussion that follows will be thoughtful, challenging, and practical. I believe that each one of my students has a role in God’s big story and that story includes our gym. Each teacher has content that is unique to his/her class or subject. We are not only forming our students’ minds, but we are transforming hearts. I desire for my students to enter the gym and ask, “How does my learning today fit into His story?” My hope has always been that my students are seeing what is valued in our class–kindness over competition. I thought by being a caring and empathetic teacher, my students would learn good character traits through some sort of sweaty gym osmosis. But values don’t become habits just by observation. Students must practice them and write their own good story. I am excited to see them “step up to the plate” as I continue teaching this year.

Book of Miracles

Check out this story a teacher shared with parents from one of our 2dn grade classrooms! This is impactful work and a way teachers work to partner with parents as they now have a role in this project as well! Not only is it important to learn the miracles of the Bible, but it is also essential to encourage those around us!

In Bible, we have been learning about the miracles of Jesus. The kids worked in pairs to write down the miracles that we have studied. We compiled our miracles into a class booklet and decided to give our booklet to people who may need encouragement and a reminder of God’s power. Our class is giving a booklet of miracles to some of the people that we have been praying for (members of the BC community). Each student also came home with a miracle booklet today. I am encouraging the kids to give this booklet to someone in their life who needs a reminder of God’s power. Many kids already have someone in mind. This is where you come in! Please help your child deliver or mail their booklet. I did tell the kids that if they can’t think of someone to give their booklet to now, they can hold onto it. In the coming weeks, they may think of someone who needs encouragement.

Honoring Veterans

As part of the eighth-grade social studies curriculum, students study the civil war and a variety of topics surrounding that time in our nation's history. Mr. Deblecourt guides students as they dig deeply into heavy topics surrounding that time in our nation's history.  These serious and important events include government, slavery, the war on more. Specifically, one of the subjects is the Civil War itself and the unfolding of that conflict. Mr. DeBlecourt shares the following:

In my eighth-grade social studies class we learned how both the North and South lacked respect for their soldiers in the ways that they carried out fighting strategies.  As a result of their attitudes towards soldiers, our nation experienced the highest death toll in its history.  My students recognized the need to show respect to our veterans and service members today for the ways that they live their lives as servants. 

Our goal was to go and visit veterans at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.  However, due to COVID concerns for the residents in the home, we made an alternate plan.  The students decided to design pieces of art that could be displayed in the GRHV along with an artist statement.  Before the pieces of art were delivered, the students put on a mini art show in the East Campus Great Hall for the 2nd-5th graders.  

This has been an amazing opportunity for the 8th graders to honor veterans, stretch their creative muscles, and share their passion with younger students.

Discernment and Truth

Discernment is one of the most important tools we can equip our students with, but can be a challenging concept to teach. In 6th grade Bible, Mr. Schutte and Mrs. Kiekintveld recently partnered with their students through a project and reflection focused on discernment and truth. 

Classes started by examining the messages in our world (“you need more,” “you’re not perfect,” “bigger is better,” “you need to look this way,” etc.). Examples were plentiful including things students see including advertising, movies/television, video games, and more. 

Next, classes looked at the truths the Bible gives about grace, Christ’s love for us, and His call to love others. Clearly, there is a stark contrast between the two types of messages. This led to a reflection about how the world’s messages affect us. Many times the worldly messages leave us feeling unworthy. Students were clearly able to identify this problem, so they developed an acronym with their teachers. When listening to messages, do they pass the following TEST:

T - Is it true, trustworthy?

E - Is it edifying to others (does it build them up)? 

S - Is it seen in God’s Word?

T - Is it a trap?

However, learning does not stop at seeing problems and practicing discernment, but continues in prompting students to share. In this case, we can help those who do not feel worthy. Students wrote anonymous letters that used the truth of Scripture to encourage each other and hung them in the middle school hallways. Each letter called for the reader to stay fixed on Christ and His Truth.

Middle school can be challenging and students can experience real hurt, but our teachers work to equip our students with skills to discern by pointing them to Biblical truth. This will ensure they stay rooted in God’s Word and are prepared for service to others!

Early Childhood Education

Preschool is a joy-filled, wonderful place. Each day students come to learn, play, and spend time together. At the ages of three and four, our students are engaged in centers, large group activities, small group work, one-on-one instruction, read aloud time, playing outside, and so much more. Teachers are working to foster whole child growth in order to prepare students for kindergarten. In order to ensure each preschool student is rooted in truth, teachers begin the year by sharing the message “Jesus loves you!”

The phrase “Jesus loves you” is so simple, yet so foundational. This is also arguably the most important thing preschool students will learn all year. Teachers share it daily in their lessons and discussions, and they have this phrase displayed in their classrooms and hallways. During the year, teachers will walk through the story of Jesus and what that means for us today. If our preschool students learn nothing else, they will know that Jesus loves them!

Our preschoolers are called to be like Jesus and bring beauty into our world. We want our students to know that they can be beauty creators. In each class, students take time to paint a unique picture that they then describe to their teachers. This exercise helps develop curious thinking and courageous designing, skills we desire all students to have. The pictures below show some of their work that adorns the hallways of the preschool campus as a visual reminder that God made them to create beautifully. 

Even at age three and four, our preschool students are learning who God created them to be!

Anxiety in Students

This note below is from the desk of a 6th-grade teacher who talks about real problems students face and provides ideas and strategies to help children.

Over the last year and a half, we have seen and supported students that have been experiencing anxiety in various ways. I asked our social worker Pam White and ESS leader Kathy Fleet if they have any strategies to help us as teachers and parents work with our children that may be having anxious thoughts. Below is a list of things to think about and consider when your child might be having difficulties feeling anxious.

1. Validate their feelings. If you say something like, “it's no big deal" it could send a message that your child's feelings are wrong. Instead, say something like, " It sounds like you are feeling really nervous right now." Be sure to simply listen to them.

2. Distinguish between real threats and false alarms. Help them understand how anxiety is meant to keep them safe. For example, if they are being chased by a lion, their brain would signal to run. There are also times when their brain triggers a false alarm. If it is a real threat they should listen to those alarm bells and take action but if it’s a false alarm then try to face their fear.

3. Teach the child some skills to identify negative thoughts and change them into positive ones using positive self-talk.

Catch it. 

- Help them create a shortlist of negative thoughts.

Challenge it.  

- Encourage them to become like detectives to assess the evidence behind their anxious thoughts.

Change it.

- Once they recognize and challenge their negative self-talk, the final step is to replace it with a positive one.

4. Teach deep breathing. 

5. Try the stepladder approach. Work with your child to come up with a list of the steps they can take to face their fears and meet their goal.

6. Help them change the channel. If they are worried about things they can't control, discuss the fact that the only thing they can control is how they respond. 

7. Maintain a routine as much as possible. 

8. Avoid overscheduling. Children need some quiet time alone to decompress.

9. Limit exposure to upsetting news. 

Real (and difficult) Parent Style Questions to Ask

1. Do you (or other influences) expect perfection? The child may feel constantly pressured to succeed which causes anxiety.

2. Are you too permissive? This leaves too much for the child's own choice that can produce anxiety.

3. Do you set a calm example?

I would like to add one more item to this list and that is prayer. I have prayed with students who have experienced this because I wasn’t always sure what to do, but talking to God usually calmed us both down and helped us gain perspective. I have learned to start with talking to God first instead of leaning on Him as my last resort. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this and know you are not alone. These are real feelings children have. All of us here at BCCS want to work together with you to help your children in all areas of their lives.

Worthwhile, Important, and Essential

In the art of education, teachers structure lessons to accomplish specific student learning, otherwise known as standards. Students should know a standard as a result of a lesson or unit. While standards can help provide a framework for teachers and an overview of the academic concepts students should learn, there are far too many standards (school/district developed, state, and national) to focus on in one year. Imagine the classroom as a boat in the middle of the sea, trying to decide which way to go in a sea of endless standards. Without a clear focus, the classroom becomes a lost ship at sea, or it is pulled in too many directions and never reaches its destination.

In order to establish a direction and ensure an excellent education that is rooted in God’s Word, BCCS teachers take a unique approach to ensure all students are learning. When deciding what to teach, teachers take the 60/60/60 approach to determine which standards are most beneficial for Christian learning.

A skill is worthwhile if students need to remember it for 60 minutes. If the concept needs to be remembered for 60 days, then it is important. Learning is essential if students should remember it for 60 years! This approach helps determine what to teach and how to best use classroom time. BCCS teachers define worthwhile, important, and essential goals in order to provide an excellent and rooted education that is fixed on Christ.

For example, from 5th grade: 

Worthwhile: I can brainstorm and identify important things from my life that would make a good story.

Important: I can retell a story from my own life using proper conventions and detail.

Essential: I can reflect on my own life and understand my part in God's story. 

Or from 8th grade:

Worthwhile: I can understand our bones and skeletal system and understand the purpose of the skeletal system.

Important: I can understand the purposes for which God designed the skeletal system and how to keep it healthy.

Essential: I can understand how life in a fallen world can affect the skeletal system, and I can understand how walking alongside a person (and with God) in difficult times can help heal them physically, mentally, and spiritually.

While there is a lot to learn, we are blessed with a staff focused on ensuring that students have essential faith development and learning on a daily basis.

School Board Update

Greetings on behalf of the BCCS School Board! We are a few months into the school year and witnessing God's blessings and handiwork in so many ways at BCCS. The storyline this year is “Fixed on Christ, Living His Story,” and it has been a joy to watch how God's story is unfolding at BCCS. 

We are thankful that God has blessed BCCS with 622 students this year, and we are humbled to partner with each family here. Our community is expanding, and due to this growth, we are diligently exploring different options for expanding our campuses. The Board commissioned an ad hoc committee to explore the West Campus in greater detail as we consider how to continue the legacy of that building. We are also forming a Philanthropy Committee (as well as hiring a new Development Director) to ensure we are able to provide access to talent for the Board to carry out its duties. It will also support the work of the school, both operationally and strategically, from a financial perspective.

Our work continues on improving the language of the proposed governance change which is designed so the board can be more visionary, rather than focused on school operations.  We will have another town hall meeting to review any proposed changes in the coming months.

We are moving forward with the construction of the outdoor learning pavilion that has been generously funded by last year's “Fund the Need” at the auction and the BCCS Parents Club. A few preliminary pictures are included to the right. 

We are also working on long term planning with school leadership in order to ensure greater missional fulfillment in the years to come. The Board, administration, and staff are creating strategic plans that will serve as a guide for operational, facility, marketing, financial, and academic outcomes. We look forward to ensuring we are continually improving both the learning experience for all of our students.

Would you like to learn more about what is happening at BCCS? Feel free to contact our school office to set up a time to hear more.

Thank you to each parent, staff member, and supporter of BCCS for an excellent start to the school year!