New Year, Same Story

This year our school storyline is See the Story, Live the Story. This is our theme for the year as we plan everything from classroom lessons and activities to projects and chapels. The supporting verse chosen by our incoming 8th graders is James 1:22a, which reads from the NLT version, “But don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says.” It’s a perfect fit for our theme! At BCCS, we want students to explore and learn, then use their acquired understanding to bring renewal to God’s world and His people. This verse is a call for Christian action, a call to LIVE the Story. 

This theme supports the BCCS mission of providing an excellent education that is rooted in God’s Word so that our students are prepared for lifelong service in God’s Kingdom. It also serves as an umbrella that links to each classroom storyline so students can see how learning and applying is seeing and living the story! 

God created each of us with unique passions, abilities, and experiences, which means we have a special and specific part to play in His story. Some students love order discovery in math, and others seek justice in social studies. Some are drawn to creating beauty in art, while others consider image reflecting in Bible. No matter what the topic is, we want each student to use what they learn as a means to do what God’s Word says!

Important Registration Dates at BCCS

We are excited to share some important dates regarding registration and enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year! 

Preschool priority registration will begin Tuesday, December 12. Priority registration is for any family (current or new to BCCS) who plans to or already does send their children to elementary school at BCCS. 

Preschool open registration will begin Tuesday, January 16. This is for any family who does not know where their children will go to elementary school or those who only use our preschool program.

Junior kindergarten and kindergarten registration will also open Tuesday, January 16. Even current BCCS families must register so we know which kindergarten class you prefer for your son or daughter. 

Please save these dates as spaces are limited in preschool, junior kindergarten, and kindergarten classrooms. All registration links will be located at www.bccs.org/registration

Following the registration window, email confirmations will be sent in February, and application instructions will be provided in March or April. If you have any questions regarding this process, email Andy Reidsma at reidsma@bccs.org or call 616.878.3347

If you want to learn more about BCCS, we highly recommend a personal campus tour so you can see classrooms, meet teachers, and ask all your questions. We want you to be able to find the place where God has called your family!

From the Desk of Someone: Welcome to 2023-2024!

We are about to begin another year at Byron Center Christian School (BCCS). As teachers begin to prepare their classrooms and final touches are completed on our facilities, I wanted to share what we are most looking forward to as we open our doors this fall. 

We are entering our seventh year of Teaching for Transformation (TfT) at BCCS. TfT is the tool we use so that both our content and our process of education are distinctly Christian. This TfT tool gives us tangible means to accomplish our mission. It’s a combination of reformed teaching and educational best practices so that our students grow as disciples and lifelong learners.

In order to be academically excellent, rooted in God’s Word, and to prepare our students for a life of service, school must be more. Rather than only a place to gain knowledge, complete homework, and pass tests, we want BCCS to be a place where kids experience rich learning opportunities and practice discipleship. In addition to working hard at developing essential curricular skills, teachers intentionally weave learning into the context of playing our part in God's story.

Every teacher in every classroom designs lessons and activities so that students master short-term targets (the skills and practices) which are connected to long-term goals (these reflect discipleship and lifelong learning). Many long-term goals are achieved through formational learning experiences (FLEx) designed to shape both the heart and mind. Rather than consumers of information, students become active participants in their learning. 

So what excites me about the 2023-2024 school year? Each day! Our staff is already designing learning that draws us to Him. This gives each math lesson, each reading skill importance and meaning. This design invites our students to see real needs, real people, discover real work and help find real solutions as part of their learning journeys. 

I loved my own school experience, but I know we can do much more for our students today. Because of the great work of our teachers and a commitment to Christ-centered education, we take steps each day to ensure learning is transformational at BCCS. May this school year be filled with opportunities to see God’s story AND live God’s story. May our students achieve excellence and be deeper rooted in God’s Word so they are truly prepared to be lifelong servants in His Kingdom. 

Andrew Reidsma

Director of Operations and Family Relations

Celebrating Stories

This spring, the eighth graders were invited into a writing project that would highlight the image of God in all people and give value to their unique stories. Their biography unit presented a great opportunity to learn the elements of biography writing, while uncovering the beautiful stories of God’s people. Each student selected one person from a previous generation who had a different cultural background than themselves. They interviewed neighbors, church members, coaches, and community members. The students crafted questions to uncover details, emotions, and events while focusing on learning targets such as “I can ask thoughtful, deep-digging questions that lead to constructive conversations and community building” and “I can actively listen to the stories of others with love, respect, and curiosity.” 

Following their conversations, students gathered the information and used their writing skills to compose a biography that recognized the interviewee’s role in God’s Story. Finally, to express appreciation, the students gifted the biography to the interviewee along with a handwritten thank you card. The project challenged our learners to use their writing skills and reach beyond their inner circle to see how God orchestrates the lives of His beloved people.
Students interviewed people from all around the world, including countries such as South Africa, Scotland, Ireland, Cuba, Kenya, El Salvador, the Netherlands, Brazil, Spain, and many more. They highlighted themes of courage, perseverance, strength, trust, and faithfulness as they wrote about traveling across the world, working through challenges, building families, starting new careers, and finding faith. 

Brief excerpts from several student biographies show evidence of God working through them and the people they interviewed: 

  • “He has shown me that anything is possible if you pray and trust in God.”

  • “His life is very inspiring and can show that God uses all things for the good of His people.”

  • “His life wasn’t spared so he could keep living, but for God to work through him and spread His word to other people.”

  • “His story fascinated me and helped me to grow spiritually.”

  • “If I have learned anything, it’s that God’s plan will always work out, even if there are a few bumps along the way.”

  • “His life shows that God can change people to serve his purpose…”

  • “What motivates me is how motivated she is toward serving God in her family and in her community and outside.”

  • “She has truly shown how to handle the tough times, how to depend on God in them, and also how to celebrate and thank God for the daily blessings.”

And, finally, 

  • “Throughout it all, God remains faithful…”

We want our students to be excellent writers, but our deeper hope is that our students have loving conversations, listen with respect, think curiously, and have a deep appreciation for individual stories within God’s larger Story. We are grateful we can do this work in every subject! 

Music, Maracas, and Movement

All learning at BCCS can point us toward finding roles in God’s Story. Music class in elementary school is a great place to explore music, practice foundational skills, prepare for performances, and above all, worship. It is a place for meaningful learning! 

This year, Mrs. Vieu’s and Mrs. Visser's preschool classes were learning to be Earth Keepers by studying recycling and other ways to care for creation. To practice reusing and recycling,  students created maracas out of recycled materials for music class and used them for movement stations in the classrooms. 

At the same time, our kindergarten music classes were exploring solfege (do, re, mi, fa, sol, etc). The kindergarten classes decided to use this method to compose a song for younger learners. What topic would make for a fun and quirky preschool song? A song about litter, of course! Our kindergarten music classes used their new knowledge of solfege to compose the melody for "The Litter Monster.” A recording of the full song was created and shared with the preschoolers, who were able to play their maracas with their new song! This partnership reinforced concepts from both the preschool unit on recycling and the kindergarten music unit.

Teachers at BCCS continuously collaborate to deepen learning, and learning is enriched when students have a chance to do meaningful work with newly-learned content. In this case, it was sharing and making music together!

Visualizing the Story

What does Byron Center Christian School do with empty wall space, creative students and teachers, and a call to See the Story and Live the Story? We invite our middle school art classes to engage in some creative work! Our campus needed a way to visually share God’s Story and beautify the hallway space. A four-piece canvas set would be the perfect way to do it!

Our students interact with the grand narrative of God’s Story (Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration) all throughout their elementary years, so our middle school learners had the necessary background understanding for this artistic endeavor. The challenge was to find a way to show the four elements of God’s Story in a way that was beautiful, intentional, and connected. 

In order to gather all unique student voices, our art teachers invited every middle school student to sketch one element of their choice. From there, the teachers took bits and pieces of those designs to create the four-canvas series. For example, Molly created the galaxy, Kennedy drew the creation hands, Greydon sketched the snake, and Masynn painted the trumpet. The goal was to allow students to practice true collaboration. Masynn commented, “God made us to have different ideas, and we had to talk together so that everyone was able to use their different ideas.”  

This project allowed our students to draft and refine based on feedback. The hands, lightning, and tomb are the end products of multiple tries. In addition to practicing artistic skills, these lessons also led to important reflections about God’s Story. For example, how can we use lines or patterns to show this story in a connected way? Does the Fall canvas have to be dark? How does Redemption look visually? What colors should we use for the tomb to show victory over death?

Multiple sets of colorful canvases now hang in our hallways. They serve as a reminder of the story that unites us here at Byron Center Christian School. God has written a beautiful story, and we each have a unique role to play in it. Art class can be a great way for us to create beauty so it is shared! 

Congratulations Class of 2023

Congratulations to our eighth-grade class of 2023! On the evening of June 1, parents, grandparents, and friends gathered to enjoy a graduation ceremony which included musical performances, student speakers, and teachers sharing about each graduate.

While there are many special moments for our students at BCCS, one highlight is their final cornerstone project. Prior to graduating, students spend time reflecting on the entirety of their learning and select faith-forming memories from a variety of classes. The cornerstone project has a visual element where students design and create something that summarizes their learning, along with a written explanation. The students then share with small groups of classmates and their parents about their personal faith journey. Our middle school years help prepare students for the next step of high school, but our greatest desire is that their faith truly becomes their own as their relationship with Christ grows.

Graduation recognizes the accomplishments of our students, but more importantly, is a celebration of God’s faithfulness and the work He is doing in their lives. It is a blessing to partner with parents during the formative years of their children’s lives. As our mission states, our desire is to provide an excellent education, rooted in God’s Word, so they are prepared for lifelong service in God’s Kingdom. May God richly bless each of our graduates as they continue to See the Story and Live the Story.