Congratulations Class of 2024

Congratulations to our eighth-grade class of 2024! On the evening of May 30, parents, grandparents, and friends gathered to enjoy a graduation ceremony which included musical performances, student speakers, and teachers sharing about each graduate.

Teachers reflected on who the graduates are and who they see them becoming. They shared stories and examples of ways students were able to live out their faith through learning, interactions with peers, and in the community. Their time at BCCS has prepared graduates for high school, but more importantly, provided them with opportunities to practice restoration. Whether tackling challenging topics using forecasting in math, pursuing Biblical justice in social studies, writing a cohesive story about a Christian role model in language arts, designing stents for heart problems in science, or exploring faith and vocation in the Bible, all learning is focused on helping students see or live God’s story!
While graduation recognizes students' accomplishments, it is primarily 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, we desire 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.

Athletics at BCCS

There are many great opportunities for students at BCCS to find their role in God’s story. Our middle school athletics program is one example. Zach Schutte, our athletic director, shares more about why these extracurricular programs are important: 

At BCCS, our mission is, “to provide children of the Christian community an excellent education, rooted in God’s Word, preparing them for lifelong service in God’s Kingdom.” In middle school, we believe that athletics are a vital part of our mission. Athletics often serve as the “face” of a school. Athletics offer the unique opportunity to put our school on display in front of a variety of audiences on a regular basis. Oftentimes, the only understanding people have of a community is the attitude and actions of the sports teams. Because of this, we believe it is vital that we teach our athletes how to use their gifts as a way to serve and love others, while also working to the best of our ability, serving God and not man. Our desire is to see all participants grow in their skill and character. We believe sports can build the character that is necessary for our athletes to be lifelong servants in God’s Kingdom.”

In our classrooms, learners have short-term goals related to learning skills which are connected to long-term targets related to habits and practices they will need to succeed. The field or court is no different. Coaches work to help our players develop skills essential to their respective sport and give them opportunities to try something new. However, it is also critical that athletes practice long-term habits such as determination, grace under pressure, and treating all people (including opposing players and referees) with value and respect. For some students, they will go on to play sports in high school and college and for others, they will stop after middle school. Regardless, our athletics program is intended to be a place for students to not only develop essential skills, but practice important long-term character goals that will help them succeed both on and off the court! 

Science in Action

Our teachers work hard to ensure science at BCCS is rooted in real work for real people. Students engage in challenges that connect their scientific understanding to a Biblical view of restoration in a broken world. Read below about what that looks like in our classrooms!

• Eighth-grade students used their understanding of the cardiovascular system to develop a solution for atherosclerosis by designing stents using CAD software and using a 3D printer to create models. Students had short-term targets regarding understanding the circulatory system and long-term goals around seeking restoration of it. 

• Fifth grade students built models of electromagnets to understand how scientific modeling can be used to understand the earth’s structure and explore properties of matter that have never been seen by the human eye. This allowed students the opportunity to practice order discovery in God’s creation and apply scientific practices to their faith. 

• Fourth grade students recently completed science and engineering work through a boat-building and mashed potato launcher challenge. In their learning, teachers and students also discussed and practiced curious thinking, gracious communicating, courageous designing, and joy-filled collaborating. These four skills are habits teachers in every BCCS classroom work to emphasize and practice with their students.

• In second grade, students were learning about properties of matter. Teachers designed a learning task of building structures with specific materials that would allow the structure to remain standing in the wind and rain and also keep a figure/person dry within the structure. The students were curious thinkers and courageous designers while working through this experiment. They also had to do a lot of gracious communicating as they planned and built their structures. It was an engaging experiment and each group passed the required tests on the structure! 

While the above examples are only brief glimpses from our classrooms, they show how teachers intentionally design learning and allow students to put it into practice in science! 

Math Matters

Our middle school teachers work hard to ensure students have a strong understanding of essential math concepts while also having opportunities to practice using those skills. For example, during a seventh grade percentage unit, Mrs. Funk invited her students to use percent calculations to measure time. Students created time logs of how they spent their day, categorized uses, calculated totals and averages, found percentages, imputed datasets in Google Sheets, wrote formulas, and created charts. The information was collected to raise awareness about how students use their time. This learning is essential in middle school because time is a gift and we can honor God by being good stewards of it. Calculating accurate percentages is important, but using our time well truly matters. 

In sixth grade, students were exploring mean, median, mode, and range with Mrs. Musch. Student groups collaborated to create surveys about aspects of their life. Sample questions included, “How often do families go out to eat?” and “How often do kids attend church functions?” Students distributed the surveys and presented their findings to peers and staff. They shared informational slides and summarized the gathered data using mean, median, mode, and range. They also communicated important takeaways regarding what the data meant. While students were completing this project, parents were invited to share examples of ways they collect and use data in their vocations. They shared data used from their jobs in financial planning, education, and in analyzing pet medicines for veterinarians. This allowed students to see examples of data coming to life. Knowing how to analyze data and share results helps learners understand discernment and how to make wise choices in all areas of our lives.  

In both examples, students discovered how math is important and part of God’s created order. While mastering percentage and mean/median/mode, students explored priorities, stewardship, habits, and communication. At BCCS, we want students to develop skills AND practice them in meaningful ways. That's why math matters! 

Throughlines

 At BCCS, learning is more than mastery of the curriculum. Learning has the power to shape who we are within God’s story. Teachers weave Throughlines into lessons, projects, and activities. Throughlines are discipleship habits and practices that both form the learners and transform God’s world around them. Throughlines help students, teachers, and parents imagine what it means to be a disciple within God’s story.  

To help our families better understand each Throughline, a first-grade teacher designed a variety of at-home activities to support learning in the classroom. For example, the first graders were studying creation as told in Genesis, so she created a list of ways to enjoy creation outside of school. Their list included, “have a picnic outside,” “create a scavenger hunt of outdoor creation objects,” and “spend time outdoors drawing pictures of God’s creation.” As families completed the creation enjoying activities, students enthusiastically shared their experiences with classmates. 

While studying the phases of the moon, the first grade “sky watchers” practiced order discovering. They noticed the orderly pattern that God designed. Next, the teacher prepared a new list of activities for families which circled around the idea of order discovering. The teacher came up with possibilities such as “compare your fingerprint to someone else” and “sing ‘All Heaven Declares’.”

The students loved engaging in the activities with their families and coming up with their own ideas for various Throughlines! By using Throughlines and inviting parents and caregivers into the process, we hope students are growing in their understanding and passion for these discipleship habits.

God Worshiper

Earth Keeper

Beauty Creator

Justice Seeker

Creation Enjoyer

Idolatry Discerner

Servant Worker

Community Builder

Image Reflector

Order Discoverer

Deep Hope

Every staff member at BCCS has a God-given call to serve Him and others, and that calling relates to their teaching each day. Therefore, each teacher has crafted a deep hope which guides their daily work as educators. We also know each student has been called to serve God and others, so they too are invited to consider and articulate personal hopes. The following stories explain how fifth graders and eighth graders walked through the process of writing their own deep hopes this fall.

In fifth grade, teachers printed their own deep hopes, examples of student deep hopes, and some business mission statements. Students compared hopes for a heart journey with business-related mission statements. The fifth graders then took the opportunity to revise their deep hope from fourth grade or create a new hope since they’ve had a year’s growth in maturity. Finally, teachers met with students one on one to talk through what their hopes mean for their personal walk with God. Students practiced curious thinking and were excited to make changes. They will revisit their deep hopes throughout the year to both reflect on progress and set goals.

Our eighth graders spent time at an overnight retreat in September. Students puzzled through team-building challenges and outdoor adventures, but also spent time reflecting on their identity in Christ. Because middle school is a crucial time for forming identity, students explored what the world says and contrasted that message to how God defines us. Students considered spiritual disciplines and the fruits of the Spirit. Finally, the eighth graders revamped or rewrote their deep hopes, their guiding statement about how they desire to grow as a Christian. 

Creating a deep hope is a rich process for our students, and articulating personal hopes for a faith walk reflects an ongoing journey rather than a destination. Deep hopes challenge us to LIVE THE STORY!

Place-Based Preschool!

At Byron Center Christian School, all grades and teachers utilize the Teaching for Transformation (TfT)  framework to ensure an excellent education that is rooted in God’s Word and prepares our students for service in God’s Kingdom. TfT is the tool we use to provide an authentic Christian education for students to both see and live God’s story. 

TfT has many core practices to foster deeper learning.  Teachers invite students to do real work, interact with real people, identify real problems, and practice real solutions. When students are engaged in this process, they are highly motivated to learn and can demonstrate mastery of content. Our goal is that school is a place where God transforms students' hearts and minds. Through TfT practices, students are invited, nurtured, and empowered to be disciples and lifelong learners. 

We are excited to launch a place-based preschool offering at BCCS. This fall, we will offer one section where students will take their learning beyond the classroom! 

Most of their day will be spent outdoors in newly created spaces for outdoor learning. They will also have learning experiences in many other places including their traditional indoor classroom,  places at our East Campus (the woods and other various ecosystems surrounding our East Campus), places in our local community, and beyond! In essence, place-based preschool takes TfT practices and our preschool curriculum and allows students to be in a place where learning will be exciting and enriching!

In summary, place-based preschool is: 

• OUTDOORS, where students will spend much of their time, utilizing natural resources to enhance preschool curriculum. 

• EXPLORATION of other learning spaces, including our elementary campus, local businesses, and more!

• DEEPER LEARNING through hands-on, inquiry-based activities. Placed-based preschool is much like our current preschool environments, but students learn in a variety of locations.

To learn more about preschool at BCCS or to see schedule options, contact us today!

Foundations for Lifelong Learning

Our preschool classrooms at BCCS are learning environments which are designed to be spaces where children can develop positive habits of learning. Students are practicing habits of learning such as gracious communicating, joy-filled collaborating, curious thinking, and courageous designing as they grow in all academic areas. We are laying the foundation of faith and lifelong learning
Our classrooms are designed to convey six positive messages that our littlest learners are able to embrace as they enter their first learning environments. As teachers, through our interactions, classroom structure, curriculum, and arrangement of the learning spaces, we are intentional to ensure that every learner receives these messages:

Reassurance: “This is a good place to be”

Every student needs to feel safe in their environment. Learning is exciting! Our materials are age appropriate, interesting, engaging, and stimulate engagement in higher order thinking. We ensure that students are able to make choices and decisions about when they will engage in activities and have plenty of time to become deeply involved in sustained learning through play. We want our learners to want to come to school each day and to want to learn more!

Acceptance: “You belong here”

Every student is a child of the King and has an important role to fulfill in our classroom community. We need every member in our learning community, and we value every member’s contributions to our learning. Each learner comes from a family and is adopted into our classroom family. We celebrate each person’s unique story as part of our story and part of God’s story

Reliability: “This is a place you can trust”

Our learning environment will be predictable. The way teachers interact will be kind, helpful, and encouraging. We will expect all students to be learning and interacting in kind, helpful, and encouraging ways to be joy-filled collaborators. We will follow a consistent schedule and have clear expectations. If you take a risk in your learning to try something that is new or difficult, it is all right if it doesn’t work out perfectly the first time. Mistakes are learning opportunities. We will always support your growth!  

Respect: “There are places you can be by yourself”

Just as we are part of a community and we respect each other, each of us is also a unique individual. There are places to be learning by yourself in our classroom even as we are learning to work together.  

Independence: “You can do many things on your own here”

We strive for a balance between teacher-led and child-initiated learning opportunities. Low-risk decision making builds risk-tolerance resilience as a learner. We provide many opportunities for children to safely work out their thoughts, ideas, emotions, and developmental needs through unstructured, imaginative play.  

Confidence:  “This is a safe place to explore”

We all have many feelings and emotions. It is acceptable to feel the way we are feeling. There are safe ways to process our feelings and the teachers here can help you to sort through emotions in positive ways. At this age, students are just becoming aware of others and that they have feelings and responses too. As we work through learning more about ourselves, we also learn how to treat others as children of the King.

Letter to a Saint

Our sixth-grade Bible curriculum includes a unit on Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae. In the letter, Paul thanks the Colossians, encourages them, and prays for them. After studying Paul's words to the Colossians, the students were invited to select a person from their own life who exemplifies the character of Christ and with whom they have a personal relationship. They were challenged by teachers to “search their heart for the right words to encourage a saint.” Each student identified a saint and courageously designed a letter that imitated Paul’s words to the people in Colossae. The letters included elements of thanksgiving and encouragement. Each letter concluded with a personalized prayer. Students were invited to step into God’s Word to encourage others. They examined scripture, searched their hearts, and found the words to acknowledge and uplift a saint in their life. This fall they mailed their final drafts with the expectation that God would bless their efforts and, in turn, bless the faithful saints.

Rather than teachers grading the letters, the students used a rubric to self-evaluate their work for Biblical content and high-quality writing. One student reflected, “It was challenging to use ‘Godly words’ and phrases, but I was proud of how my letter sounded.” Another student said, “God’s words are powerful to me because I know that God only speaks the truth.”

Studying the book of Colossians led the sixth graders to see the story. Using the acquired knowledge and understanding allowed the students to live the story. Our theme verse, James 1:22, reads, “Do not merely listen to the word…Do what it says.” This project provided an opportunity for our students to do just that - listen and do!

A Note from Mr. O!

It is with thankfulness that we have been able to celebrate an incredible start to the new school year at Byron Center Christian School (BCCS). We started the 2023-2024 academic year with our focus on a shared mission of providing an excellent education which is rooted in God’s Word in order to prepare our children for lifelong service to Him. It is a blessing to lead our children to both See the Story and Live the Story through our storyline for this year. We are also guided by the words from James 1:22a, where we are called to actively live out what we read in God’s Word:

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. - James 1:22a

Our students and staff, both returning and new, have embraced each day with enthusiasm, curiosity, and a passion for learning that is inspiring. Students’ eagerness to see the story grow both academically and spiritually is a testament to the nurturing environment cultivated by our staff. Our exceptional team has continued to seek the high academic standards and faith formation that we strive for at BCCS. Their unwavering commitment to our children is a cornerstone of our success and a great blessing.

I must express my heartfelt appreciation to our supportive parents and community as well. Your trust in our school and your active involvement in your children's education make a significant impact on their growth and success. Your partnership and support are invaluable. Our united commitment to faith and service is evident in the numerous activities and initiatives that have already taken place this year.

As we look ahead, we anticipate many more exciting opportunities for growth. We will see growth academically and spiritually through our existing and new programs. We will also see growth in enrollment again next year, and our need for additional space is becoming urgent. Our commitment to Christian education at BCCS and our belief in the potential of every student will continue to guide us in our commitment to serving the children and families in Byron Center and beyond as we live the story together.

Here at BCCS, we are excited about the journey that lies before us and the positive impact that we will make as a school community. We will carry this momentum forward with the knowledge that God's grace is with us every step of the way as we follow His lead. Thank you for your unwavering support and dedication to Byron Center Christian School!

Serving Him,

James Onderlinde

Administrator