Archives - February 2018
In The Spot Light - Mrs. Phillips
February 21, 2018
Every person in this educational institution contributes to the whole. Every piece is connected and every piece matters. This week we celebrate our Director of Community Development and Director of Admissions, Betsy Phillips.
Mrs. Phillips loves building community, connecting people, and talking about SJCS to new families! “When you really connect the value of education at SJCS to the benefits for children and families, I cannot imagine how a family would choose something different than what we offer. Not only are we intentional in the classroom, but also in every event and activity. The biggest distinctive we have is our partnership of school, home, and church. I think this approach is so unique in our valley. When people really understand that partnership, it can help their children thrive.”
Betsy and the office team engage the SJCS mission. They are intentional about displaying a love for God, a desire to learn and a commitment to serve. Their effective processes point to engagement with all the different members of our community. They support our teachers so that together our staff can effectively raise up kids to transform His kingdom. Betsy overflows with joy as she shares, “Because I believe in our mission statement with my whole heart, it is easy for me to share our story and build events, tours, and community connection points in support of that mission.”
Spiritual Formation: What is the school's role?
February 05, 2018
I read the following in an article this past week: “Church and family life are important in young adults’ spiritual formation, but our research reinforces the fact school plays an important role in this as well,” says Dr. Beth Green, education program director at think tank Cardus. “Church leaders, parents, and educators must know and understand just how important attending Christian school can be in bolstering young adults’ faith.” (Cardus is a think tank dedicated to the renewal of North American social architecture that works to enrich and challenge public debate through research, events, and publications.) As a parent of three grown children who are all attended and graduated from Christian schools, I can certainly vouch for that fact.
As your students learn to think Biblically as a very intentional part of the SJCS educational experience, they are learning how to respond to our culture as Jesus would. That means that they are learning to serve and love others. They are building friendships with others who are doing the same, and when a friendship is based on a love for Christ, that friendship goes deep. Of course, we all do that imperfectly, but as we live in community at SJCS, we are also learning to give grace to each other as we each grow in our faith.
Middle School J Term
February 05, 2018
From January 16-19, our student body, 5th - 8th grade, enjoyed a new experience called J-Term. J-Term is short for January Term: a short, condensed and focused time of learning in one specific topic area. Continue reading to see the amazing impact J-Term had on our students, school community and wider church communities. Our nine SJCS Throughlines wove throughout these electives in beautiful ways.
During PROJECT SERVE, a group of willing students spent four days sharing their time and talent at multiple locations that included House of Hope, Cityteam, Palo Alto Christian Reformed Church and SJCS. Our eyes were opened to see how community comes together to encourage and support members in our community who are in need. (Led by Mrs. Thompson & Mrs. Singh)
“I liked that we were helping others.” H.S.
“I enjoyed working at City Team the most.” C.B.
“We got to help the community.” S.V.
BUSINESS MARKETING students explored what it takes to run a small business through topics such as branding, marketing, and the social media opportunity. (Led by Mrs. Medeiros & Mrs. Hendricks)
“J-term gave me different tips and tricks to help a business succeed exponentially.” M.S.
“Business marketing can be used in real life as I hope to plan a successful business soon.” R.A.
“I find it really enjoyable to create and design things.” N.P.
HIKING ADVENTURES AND WILDERNESS WANDERINGS brought 12 students to local hiking trails such as Quicksilver & Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch. During the 3-4.5 mile hikes, students explored nature metaphors from the Bible and literature, grew in community, and practiced basic survival skills. (Led by Mr. DenOuden and Mrs. Baham)
“I loved the fresh air and trail discussions.” H.J.
“I learned more about the other students in my group.” Camille S. “I loved being able to learn and grow as a community, not just in a classroom, but in nature.” A.S.
ROBO-CODING (Robotics & Coding) students enjoyed building, programming, and flying drones while discussing the present and future impact of the drone industry. (Led by Robo-Robo Company & Mrs. Coetsee)
“I enjoyed my unusually high speed drone.” M.K.
“Each day there was something fun to do.” C.S.
“Students had time to be creative and pursue their interests in robotics and coding.” Mrs. Coetsee
READERS’ THEATRE prepared students to perform in small groups. During the week, students also learned performance techniques, costume making and make-up design. (Led by Mrs. Truong)
“It was nice to try something new and extra-curricular during school hours.” E.P.
“It was fun hanging out with people in different grades than me because it got me to connect and become closer friends with them.” M.S.
“Even though I have done sewing before, I got to try something new when we made our costumes.” A.H.
Students used their gift of teaching to bless younger students on campus as they took “A WALK TO THE LITTLE SIDE.” Students designed centers and activities for our preschool and JK classes (Led by Mrs. Nibbelink)
“I enjoyed playing with the little kids.” G.L. and C.F.
“It made me feel like I was a little kid again myself.” M.L.
“I think it would have been more fun if we could have been the teacher for a whole day!” M.S.
MAKE AND TAKE POTTERY CLASS students learned the basic techniques for working with clay in an advanced art studio course. Over the week, students completed multiple projects which were glazed before being returned to them. (Led by Ms. Webb)
“We got to make plates and paint them from scratch.” J.S.
“Pottery was lots of fun, and I enjoyed making things with my friends.” C.B.
“I really liked making a bowl for my cat.” B.L.
I 100% agree.