Mike's Miracles Soccer Tournament

Last Tuesday was our annual Mike’s Miracles Grade Six Soccer Tournament.

Mike’s Miracles is a charitable foundation that was set up by a student at Beacon named Mike VandenDool in the spring of 2008. Mike fought vigorously against the cancer that was invading his body for over a year before the Lord took him home, in his grade 6 year.

During his time in treatment he became increasingly aware of the hardships that many kids faced when diagnosed with cancer. He started Mike’s Miracles as a way to bring some joy to the lives of these same kids. Mike’s parents have continued the work of Mike’s Miracles since Mike’s passing. You can read about what the organization has already accomplished on the website – www.mikesmiracles.org.

Mike was an avid and talented soccer player. He was also a student who would go out of his way to include others in activities. This grade 6 tournament has been designed to encourage students to get to know other students, to work together and to celebrate their healthy bodies while playing the sport of soccer. We are excited that the VandenDool family has agreed to partner with Beacon on this event – making it a Mike’s Miracles event. Students were given a chance to play some soccer, hear about Mike and Mike’s Miracles, and meet some of the students at neighboring Christian schools.

It was a beautiful day of sport and fellowship! It was also a time to share a message about Mike's Miracles and how it tied in with Jesus' message to "Love your neighbor". The students were encouraged to "Make a positive difference" in the lives of others.

Pot's Ponderings

Delivered on my desk this morning was a magazine entitled Christian Educators Journal. As staff, we receive this periodical several times per year. The most recent issue struck a chord with me on a number of fronts, but especially the article entitled, "The Task of Christian Education in Creating an Inclusive Worldview" by David W. Anderson. As board and administration we are exploring how we can become a more inclusive school and are taking steps in that regard. The last paragraph of Anderson's article summarizes well, why inclusive education is important for all students. It reads:

Effective inclusive education is rooted in a Christian worldview that acknowledges all people as created in God's image and seeks to promote human flourishing. It is responsive to the academic, social/relational, and spiritual needs of all students. It reaches out to all students by creating a hospitable and welcoming classroom environment. Effective inclusive education makes a difference in the classroom, the school, the community, and the world by altering how people with disability are viewed, promoting acceptance of others, and contributing to the healing and reconciliation that we desire.     - David W. Anderson

This seems like a great vision for the kind of school we aspire to be.  If you would like a copy of the full article, copies will be available in the office.

Pot's Ponderings: God Worshipping

Over the last few days I have had the opportunity to be present at a number of worship services. In the last four days, I attended a funeral, participated in communion with a diverse group of Christians while at a concert, witnessed the baptism of one Beacon student and her four siblings, and attended my own church where our pastor preached and led communion for the first time as a fully ordained pastor within the Christian Reformed Church.

Our throughline for the month is God-worshipping. What struck me the most in the varied services that I happened to attend was the common thread of God’s sovereignty – the acknowledgement that Jesus is Lord of all things, all times, all places and all people. This is a central belief of the Christian faith, and one that is common across Christian denominations. Jesus is Lord of all things. He alone is worthy of our worship.

We will be exploring the theme of God-worshipping at our Thanksgiving Chapel on Wednesday. It should be a great chapel with lots of student involvement. As always, parents and visitors are welcome to attend.

A Glimpse of Grade Four

This picture illustrates a Social Studies project entitled: "Where am I in God's World?"

 Students got the chance to make their own globes out of balloons. On these globes, students had to label the Equator, the Prime Meridian, as well as the four hemispheres (North, South, East, West). 

In addition to this, students had the task of figuring out where St. Catharines was on their globe

Decomposer Scavenger Hunt

Grade 2 headed off to Heartland Forest for a field trip to

 check out God's Recycling Plan in action.  

Armed with clipboards, magnifying glasses, colour charts and shovels, students headed off to turn over rotting logs and search for decomposers like earthworms, spiders, ants, millipedes, slugs, moss and fungi. We also spotted squirrels, salamanders and even a snake!

It was such a beautiful afternoon for a hike in the woods! 

 God's recycling plan in action brings new life from death. Students have been learning this cheer:

Plants are producers

Animals consumers

Decomposers live on things dead

The cycle continues

From death there is life

Our God is a Hero of Hope - Hooray!

Pot's Ponderings: The City Harmonic

One of my favourite bands of recent years has been the City Harmonic, and not just because my wife used to babysit the drummer. I know many in our school community enjoyed a concert by them last night down the street at Glenridge Bible Church. I hope to catch them later this week at Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario (I think there are still tickets available).

 My favourite song of theirs is called “Holy (Wedding Day)”(you can listen online here). It is a song that is powerfully played and draws heavily on themes from the book of Revelation, to a time when all is made right again. It is a song (story) of longing for something greater than our present circumstance. In many ways, this is the story in which we are inviting all of our students to play a part.

Our theme for the next month is God Worshipping. We desire our lives (and our students’ lives) to be part of God’s redemptive story. I love it that we get a glimpse of the ending of the story in Scripture. We see through a glass dimly, but it is good to keep a picture in mind of what lies ahead:

This is the story of the Son of God
Hanging on the cross for me
But it ends with a bride and groom
And a wedding by a glassy sea
O death where is your sting
Cause I'll be there singing
Holy Holy Holy
Is the Lord

This is the story of a bride in white
Waiting on her wedding day
Anticipation welling up inside
While the groom is crowned as king
O death where is your sting
Cause we'll be there singing
Holy Holy Holy is the Lord

Holy Holy Holy Holy Holy Holy
Is the Lord Almighty
Holy Holy Holy Holy Holy Holy
Is the Lord Almighty
Who was and is and is to come
Who was and is and is to come

This is the story of the Son of God
Hanging on the cross for me
And it ends with a bride and groom
And a wedding by a glassy sea

This is the story of the a bride in white
Singing on her wedding day
Of the God who was and is to stand before a bride who sings
Holy Holy is the Lord Almighty 

-The City Harmonic

Applesauce Day in SK

Our SK students are wondering about the changing seasons and things to do with apples. 

Very timely, with our Applefest coming up this weekend!

Have a look to see what they did with their apples last week.