Beehives and Happiness at Our Christian School

“Happiness is not found within us, but rather between us. “

It was a thrill last week Thursday to join 1000 Christian Educators in Ancaster. LCES staff were inspired as we sang, prayed, and connected with provincial colleagues. We were challenged by some research underway about relationships by Dr Robert Loe.

The quote above is his. Depending on self-help books, mindfulness to find your inner “you”, and other such activities is not the route to happiness he proposed. His interesting research of measuring relationships in organizations indicate that people flourish when strong connecting relationships exist. The most vulnerable are taken care of best in communities were connecting relationships are strongest. He presented some “threats” to relationship health in our culture and context. Bees in a bee hive with unique but connected roles was offered as a visual to ponder. The hive thrives when relationships between the bees is healthy.

Relationship is the foundation of learning. Jesus showed us this in the way in which he announced a new covenant and the coming kingdom. He lived and taught in an intensely relational setting with his disciples. Can you imagine the talking on long walks, meal time conversations,  and lingering campfire debates?

LCES staff are grateful for the chance to have been able to step away to contemplate what learning looks like in 2019. It’s great to be back in the hive at LCES today.

SJ

Dividing Snacks and Loving Your Neighbour

When my brother and I were younger we shared many things. Or rather, we were required to share many things – some of which we’d rather have kept to ourselves.

Whether it was cake, dividing the very rare can of pop, or a treat of potato chips, we were often told to “divide and share.” With a level of precision that would be admired by NASA engineers, we would measure down to the mm or pour and re-balance portions so that neither would be receiving any more than they other. A ruler actually came out once to divide a dessert. Perhaps the greatest equalizer was that one divided, the other choose between the two resulting portions. I think we probably spent entirely too much time doing this while the pop was going flat or the ice cream was melting.

“Fairness doesn’t always mean sameness” 

There are some places in life where fairness does equate to the same thing being given, taken, shared, or required from everyone, but certainly not all. During a hospital emergency room visit, the split chin from a bicycle accident is trumped by the person arriving in cardiac arrest. A person living with mobility challenges is given parking priority over those who do not. In a school setting, one student’s needs call for something different, and sometimes different looks like more. It seems to be a natural tendency that our children’s first concept of fair is sameness, which home and school eventually have need to round out for wider consideration.

Following God’s command to love your neighbour often does call for us to pursue “everyone gets what they need” rather than “everyone gets the same thing.” It is far from simple for us to make this subtle shift, however when we do so we see pettiness being surpassed by empathy, and selfishness giving way to compassion.

SJ

Pizza, Learning, and Colleagues At Our Christian School

Teachers like to eat too. Last month as part of our PD day, we dove into the task of preparing food together. It joined us together in a task - and a anticipation of good eating!

Next week we'll join together with a large group. On Thursday our teachers will be heading to Ancaster Ontario to attend an Educator’s Conference with more than 700 Christian educators. Based on Luke’s gospel, the chosen theme is “The Imperative of Love” with a focus on creating a place of belonging for all. Next Friday our teachers will be back at school working on more local professional development connected to ongoing local projects and topics. I’m thankful for these chances for our teachers to be reflective and grow.  

There was a time in the past when a Christian school was like a boat on its own in a vast sea. That is no longer the case! We are blessed at LCES to have a network of support from many other key players in Christian education in Ontario and beyond that help us greatly in these matters. 

 

Organization	Website	How they help us
Edvance	www.edvance.ca	Supports local school boards stay on top of provincial matters, school finance, instruction/curriculum, and government advocacy. They organize the annual convention our staff will be attending next week.
Edifide	www.edifide.net	Human resource type support for Christian teachers serving in schools.
Christian Schools International	www.csionline.org	Curriculum, human resources, pension and health plans for staff, administrative conferences.

We also have neighbors! The Prairie Association for Christian Schools, Society for Christian Schools in British Columbia, and Christian Schools Canada are very helpful in making our school a great place to be. These organizations are part of what allows us to offer Christian education at LCES.

SJ

Coloured Beans and Belonging

Our school theme for the year is from Psalm 24:1, with emphasis on the word “belong” that we read in that text. Connected to our theme, a recent SK math lesson blurred the lines in delightful ways between math, Bible, and growth in the life of faith.

Mrs. Stortz had the students taste test green and purple coloured beans with blindfolds on and indicate their preference for either “A” or “B“. They practiced counting votes with tally marks and making observations of what they discovered.

Most thought the beans tasted very similar. Once they cut open both colours of beans, they discovered the insides were the same. They talked about how both beans belong in Gods garden, just like all kinds of people belong to God because, as one student spontaneously declared, “God only looks at our heart!“  

Here is evidence of the blessed spot we live and work in every day at LCES, where we are able to declare “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:1) and that guides all learning, regardless of the subject. What joy there is to have our students learn in a place where all things can be presented as connected, whole, and having God-intended purpose! Praise God for such moments of joyful response to God’s amazing world.

SJ

Every Child Matters

Even though most students and staff were wearing a cheerful orange shirt, there was a quieter, more reflective atmosphere in chapel this morning. The focus was on a time period in Canada’s past where first nations children were treated in ways that crushed their culture, snuffed out future opportunities, and in some cases exposed them to abuse. One might mistakenly think that this happened in times long ago and in places faraway, but that simply isn’t the case. Residential schools still existed in the 1990’s. Mt. Elgin, just southwest of London, had a residential school. Water quality on first nations reserves is still a pressing, urgent concern as exampled by Autumn Peltier, age 15, addressing the United Nations last week.

Purposefully re-visiting these past and present situations of harm and injustice and lingering there helps our students to learn. It urges them to recognize that sin exists, that people on earth can treat each other very poorly, and that it is important to make it right. It helps them to recognize that as part of society, they participate in systems that affect others deeply. It invites our students to the sense of urgency with which Christ directs us to be reconciled not only to himself, but to each other.


Reconciliation is hard work, but the world has no shortage of need for people who are competent, committed reconcilers, motivated by Christ’s call. May our students be a blessing to present and future communities they will be working in.

September 30 chapel