The pain in remembering...

The cold November winds and rain that can become the backdrop for Remembrance Day proceedings are a fitting setting. Gratitude for service and the high price paid for freedom for all are certainly foremost in our minds as we wear our poppies and bow our heads tomorrow. However, the tears, the barren tree branches, and a brisk wind remind us of the raw reality of what we are also recalling; wars and fighting remain, guns have not been silenced, and we lament that conflict abounds nearby and far away from our home and native land. We fell the groaning of creation awaiting the fullness of Christ's return as stand vigil in silence. 

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.” Colossians 3:15


That peace seems very elusive as we move through these acts of Remembrance. The list of military sacrifice grows each year with more names added, human suffering continues in the hands of tyrants, and so many wait for the kind of justice and peace that Christ commanded. Is there hope?

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom…”  Colossians 3:16


Yes! That peace of Christ comes to us as we pattern our lives after his teaching and model for faithful living. I’m so thankful that the “message of Christ” is part of our student’s everyday life here at LCES in the devotional and learning parts of every day.  The coming  kingdom of God with justice and peace for all is what we work for every day in each lesson and conversation, each challenge and success. May our students grow in wisdom that propagates peace and returns our world back to way God originally created it – beautiful, perfect, and filled with peace. SJ

P.S. Grades 6-8 will be attending the downtown proceedings at the cenotaph tomorrow. Grades 1 -5 will led by our grade three class at a special Remembrance day assembly running from 10:45-11:15am. Parents and friends of the school are most welcome to join us.

Thank-you for our problems...

The start to our day at LCES this morning was less than ideal. News of someone’s choice to leave their graffiti “tag” on our playground, building, and bus was the first thing to respond to. No heat in parts of the building was the second. Trying to remember how to change all the clocks after the time change was next. And so the list continued, with items that one might respond to with “Really? I’d sooner be doing something else.”

It doesn’t take much to become centered only on ourselves and our own problems. Sometimes our own situation becomes “re-framed” when we place it next to plight of another person, organization, or group.  The content of Monday morning chapel was that helpful interrupter for me this morning.

Staff and students heard that this is a month set aside to recognize the reality of those Christians who are persecuted for their faith throughout the globe.  Significantly restricted opportunities, families broken apart, physical harm, imprisonment, and in some cases death is the result of expressing Christian belief in much of the globe.

Our heat will get fixed and we can take care of the graffiti. Our clocks will show the right time.

For a school that is entirely committed to expressing its Christian faith in devotional practice, academic study, and faithful living we certainly experience an abundance of freedom from many of the roadblocks and harm that others experience.  We are grateful that God gives us the freedom to operate a school such as ours and in so doing we can boldly give expression to our faith as live and learn each day.

But that response to the persecuted church is incomplete. We are called to pray for the persecuted church, remember their plight (Hebrews 13:3), and work for justice everywhere. I read this weekend that  “every local practice of justice plants the seeds for justice to flow wider and higher in the entire world.” 

May our students “grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ “ (2 Peter 3:18) each day at LCES so that they can plant such kingdom seeds throughout their lives.  SJ

Hope in Fearful Times

As parents cope with the recent news stories and alerts that may cause fear and worry in their children, we understand that children need their parents first and foremost to circumvent their fears or worries and assure them God remains in full control of our world, even when sin dashes our hope into despair. 

In addition, children need other caring adults in their lives who also see them as children of God as they bravely make their way through a sometimes scary world. The Christian school provides those other caring adults. In a world that may seem chaotic, our children need the security of a place where parent and teacher values are aligned. Our children need a place of sanctuary where any adults in the child’s space are guided by the same spiritual values that shape the parents’ interactions with their children. Our children need a place where they can reach out to an adult and know that the Christ who is continuously shaping that adult is the same Christ who is at work molding the child. The Christian school provides that place. 

The journey on which our children find themselves is difficult at times. Never underestimate the power of the Christian parent and the Christian school coming together to help our children calm fears and provide encouragement. Remember that when we are dealing with the tough stuff, God will never let our children go. 

"And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Matthew 28:20

Praise God for that sure assurance.   SJ

Spreading the Word

A common reaction from people who have driven by our school for years and finally enter the building for one reason or another is, “Wow! I had no idea this place was here and this is what you do every day. Why haven’t I heard about you long ago?” While there is a certain part of that response that is exciting because of their very positive spontaneous response, I can’t help feeling that an opportunity was missed  at high cost. Our community needs to know about us and the great things that go on here every day.

Our promotions group at the school is busy considering the ways that we best position ourselves to speak to and connect with young families who might consider educating their children here at LCES. Consensus from other schools on the subject is clear; these young families make their choices in ways different than former generations. While the Promotions Committee tries to figure that all out, here are few no-cost things you can do to spread the news about our school:

1)   Pray for those families who are busy contemplating the best choice for their children, which may include LCES as an option of one among many.  I am nearly always in correspondence with at least one family who wants to learn more about us.  Pray that conversations and tours are effective in sharing our school’s story.

2)   Frequently “like” what we post on our facebook page. While you may enjoy simply taking in the content, there is more you can do. The small step of clicking “like” creates ripples in the social media pond that has our name and positive school culture reaching many.

3)   It takes less than 5 minutes for you to do a review of our school on facebook  and/or google. We know for certain that young families first explore us on-line and we want great positive content and first-hand comments there that motivate first phone or e-mail contact.

4)  Think of (and perhaps even practice) what you can say about our school in two minutes or less. “So where do you send your kids to school?” is a fantastic opportunity to potentially connect us with families since the question suggests curiosity and an open door.  Word of mouth contact remains highly effective since it is grounded in a relationship.

Thanks for considering! We pray for an excellent week of living and learning by faith at LCES!  SJ

Teachers Enter the Story

⁴ Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts;
    let them proclaim your power.
⁵ I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor
    and your wonderful miracles.  Psalm 145:4-5

Hearing or telling stories is something everyone can relate to. Campfire stories, fish-got-away stories, family “remember the time when…” stories, and stories well written by fiction authors amuse, comfort, challenge, or inspire us. Why do we share stories? Perhaps it is to multiply joy and divide sorrow. Or maybe the sharing of stories helps us to define what matters most to us, what resonates with us, and gives others a picture of what we want in life. Stories matter greatly to us because we know we are part of God’s great story of love and redemption of this world and these small stories fit into that larger story.

It is with this backdrop of a chosen theme of “Entering the Story” that our LCES staff will journey off to Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ont. this week for the annual Christian educator’s convention. We will gather from schools across the province to form a body of more than 1000 educators interested in being challenged, inspired, equipped, and renewed in our craft of Christian teaching. Staff will hear two keynote speakers and attend a variety of workshops. It is a rich blessing for us to attend this event and we certainly covet your prayers for safety, learning, and fellowship as teachers become students in a tangible way for two days.

Let’s continue sharing the stories of faith with our children. To God be the glory! SJ

Why test? (Standardized Testing)

Next week (October 20-22) your child(ren) in grades 3-8 will be working through the Canadian Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) for a part of each day. The CTBS is a collection of standardized tests in several subject areas. The two main reasons for using a standardized achievement test are to gather information that can be used to improve instruction school-wide and to provide one more form of valuable information about their input alongside a report card to make responsible decisions about the education of their children. 

It is important to us that you know that these tests do not measure all the worthwhile objectives of our school – the diversity of school goals, of instructional methods, and of curriculum materials make it impossible for any test to attempt to do that. However, there are a number of generally held educational objectives toward which all students are expected to progress toward as they proceed through grades K-8. 

The test provides basic information about student achievement. The test scores are compared to the scores of other students. This comparison can be very useful to schools and parents in determining the quality of the school program and instruction, and the corresponding level of student achievement. 

This year, under the recommendation of the Education Committee, we decided to only participate in the CTBS portion that relates to math. Two years ago, we made a full Grade 1 -8 switch to JUMP Math. We are interested in seeing how this specific area of the curriculum is improving student learning at LCES. We recognize the age of the CTBS tests as a whole and while other subject areas don’t completely align with our curriculum, we see the merit in participating in the math testing for this year. 

Teachers will spend time with students explaining how the tests work, what to expect and why we are using them at LCES. When the test scores are returned to the school, we will notify you as parents. Please pray for our students as they take these tests. Pray for patience, clear thinking, peace and understanding as we look to ensure we are preparing our students well for their future. JW

Success will come and go, but integrity is forever...

When I was about twelve years old a significant life-lesson took place. Shortly after an event much like last Saturday’s Fall-Fest, I received a phone call. A voice on the other end tried repeatedly to relay a message to me through a heavy accent. Eventually, I realized that they were telling me that they had found my wallet on the sidewalk in front of their house. I had not yet realized it went missing on my bumpy bike ride home from the Christian school bazaar.

I biked back to their home to retrieve it. I encountered a busy immigrant family that clearly didn’t have a lot of financial resources. They probably could have really used the newspaper route profits that were so poorly safe guarded on my part. I was old enough to realize that they had made a choice here, and I thanked them for choosing as they did. Without skipping a beat, the father said “There was no choice to make. Success will come and go, but integrity is forever.” Whether those were his own words or reference to someone else’s wisdom, I don’t know. They stuck like glue in my young mind.

As an adult and a parent, this memory prompts me to think about many things about responsibility and children. However, as an educator, this memory reminds me that there is immense benefit for a child when all people in their life are purposeful and deliberate about developing habits, mindsets, and perspectives that cultivate character and faith. All of them are made more powerful together than they would be on their own. You never know where and when the next golden learning opportunity will arise. When it comes, seize it!

From bus drivers to teachers, and from EA’s to volunteer coaches, I am grateful for the adults that surround our children at LCES and speak truth into their lives. SJ 

P.S If you had the chance to be in the building last Saturday, you will have noted a great day in progress. Pleasant fall aromas, happy voices, delicious food aplenty, and lots of entertaining things to see and do drew a steady crowd to our annual Fall Fest. We thank our very dedicated group of volunteer leadership and our many parent volunteers that made the day a great success!