What You Will Find Inside December's Messenger
What You Will Find Inside December’s Messenger
Message from Superintendent Board Update TCS Community Bulletin Board TCS Christmas Concert Parent Action Committee Update TCS Open House Kindergarten Action Committee TCS Food Drive for the Calgary Interfaith Food Bank December Hot Lunch Dates Student Banking Information Grade 2 Boat Showcase Grade 3 Bridges Showcase Samaritan’s Purse Shoebox Campaign Update Junior High Honour Roll S.A.L.T.S Information TCS Volleyball 2013 Intramurals
“The Messenger”
December 2013
School Theme for the Year “Worship His Holy Name:” Psalm 145: 3—5
Come Let us Adore Him
Main Office: 403-254-6682
…and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. Luke 1:31-32
Principal Stan Hielema Vice Principal—Junior High Michelle Duimel Sports Coordinator Mark Jonker Development Officer Laura Doornbosch Curriculum Support Cheryl Barnard
Happy December, everyone! In this season of giving, I’d like to suggest that the adults in our students’ lives consider giving the gift of literacy this year. That doesn’t necessarily just mean books. We’ve had this discussion around the office. One parent said she’d be disappointed to be a kid receiving a book for Christmas. For a child who comes from a home filled with books, that may be true. But we know of many children whose homes have sparse reading materials. Some kids may have access to lots of books, but none of them are of interest.
____________ Business Office 403-254-6716 Business Manager John Unrau Accounting Clerk Louise Prefontaine Facility Superintendent Dave Vriend
In her first blog post on Palliser’s website at http://www.pallisersd.ab.ca/literacy/literacy-blog, Palliser Literacy Coach Bev Smith recently shared a very personal story. Her own son could read but chose not to. Despite his parents reading to him from the time he was a baby, despite him having access to a treasure trove of books at home, despite living in a household full of voracious readers, he just didn’t read for fun. Bev shares that she thinks one reason is that her son too seldom had a choice about what to read. Mom bought him lots of books for him, not necessarily books he would have chosen for himself.
Her experience suggests a gift card to a bookstore would be a better choice than choosing a book for him. Give a gift card and then make an outing to the bookstore. Pore over the shelves #100—295 Midpark Way SE, for something that catches the child’s eye. Help the child take the clues from the book front and back covers and the inside panels and look for books that he/she will be keen to read. As Calgary, AB, T2Y 2X1 adults, don’t leap to judgment that the book he/she chooses is too easy. Don’t pressure a child to read something that might be beyond his/her reading abilities. Phone: 403-254-6682 Fax: 403-254-9843 Website: www.tcskids.com E-Mail: [email protected] Facebook: www.facebook/ tcskids
Aside from gift cards, consider giving a gift of your time. Read together. Talk about what the student is reading and what he/she thinks about it. As a gift, students can create and write holiday messages or write a story about a favourite memory of time spent with a parent, aunt or uncle or grandparent. That’s a gift that will be treasured for years to come. Literacy is truly a gift that keeps on giving. Happy holidays, everyone.
Welcome to Trinity Christian School!
Kevin Gietz, Superintendent
Worship His Holy Name Elohim ~ Strong Creator El Elyon ~ Most High El roi ~ God Who Sees El Shaddai ~ God Almighty Yahweh ~ God’s Holy Covenant Name Adonai ~ Lord and Master Yahweh-jireh ~ Yahweh will provide Yahweh-rapha ~ Yahweh who heals Yahweh-nissi ~ Yahweh My Banner Yahweh-shalom ~ Yahweh is Peace Yahweh-raah ~ Yahweh my Shepard Yahweh-sabaoth ~ Yahweh of Hosts Jehovah Lord God The Almighty Son of God Creator Lamb of God Almighty God The Shepard King of Kings Lord of Lords Christ Son of Man The Alpha and Omega ~ Beginning and End Prince of Peace Wonderful Counselor
Board Update – December Messenger Our ACSCS Fall Meeting took place on November 26th. The Board provided an update on August 2015 – our acquisition of additional space in Atrium VI - and discussed other Board priorities including parking lot safety, parental involvement, and our vision for a High School. There was also an update on our Capital Campaign. For those who were unable to attend, here is a brief summary. August 2015 – Under the terms of our Option Agreement with Lansdowne Equity Ventures Ltd., we have until August 2015 to purchase the second floor of Atrium VI. Our Chair, Dave Sterna, shared details on purchasing the entire building versus purchasing the second floor only, considerations about triggering the Option Agreement a year early, discussions with the Christian Credit Union regarding financing, consultations with a tax lawyer regarding possible issues with Canada Revenue Agency, and a floor plan for the second floor prepared by Marvin Spitzke based on consultations with our Principal about the educational needs of our school. There is still some “fine tuning” needed in our due diligence, but the Board is leaning towards recommending to the Society that we proceed with the Option Agreement for the second floor only at this time as it is financially manageable and will properly meet the long term needs of our school for Kindergarten through Grade 9, and to address the acquisition of the remainder of the building at a later date. There will be further information sessions in the new year before an official recommendation is brought to the Society. Parking Lot Safety – As our school population grows, so does the traffic and congestion in our parking lot. There are two major aspects of this issue – the safety of our students and our relationship with our community neighbors. We have been working with our school administration to put processes in place which address these concerns, and we appreciate the cooperation of our parents with this. It is important to recognize that we rely on the goodwill of other parties including Wingate, Health Plus and Lansdowne for the use of their parking spaces, and failure to adhere to the processes put in place could jeopardize these relationships which would result in significantly greater parking lot issues. We are grateful to the parents who have come forward to assist during after school pick-up, and would welcome more volunteers for this. Parental Involvement/Committees – Parental involvement is a key characteristic of TCS, and critical in the ongoing successful functioning of our school. All parents have God given interests, talents and skills that would enrich our school. There are many opportunities and needs for parental involvement. As a Board we want to focus on engaging parents in our school, recruiting volunteers for Committees, and improving our “succession planning” for future Committee and Board members. High School – A High School is part of our TCS Vision, and a priority for the Board. Significant interest was expressed last spring at the meeting hosted by the Wiebes and the survey that was done. The second floor of Atrium VI could accommodate the beginning of a High School for one or two years, but additional space on the 3rd floor of Atrium VI or at another location would be required for long term sustainability. A committee will be formed to look into this further. Capital Campaign – Of the $815,000 that was pledged in our Capital Campaign, $718,000 has been received to date leaving $97,000 yet to come in. While becoming part of Palliser Regional Schools has significantly improved our financial circumstances, the Program Fees alone do not cover the cost of our facility needs. Our plans for acquisition of more space in Atrium Vi include the receipt of all the money pledged as well as additional capital fundraising efforts. If you have any questions about these matters or anything else, feel free email us at [email protected] or speak directly to any Board Member: Dave Sterna (Chair), Devin Shiskowski (Vice-Chair), Gerhard Barnard (Treasurer), Patty Wiebe (Secretary), Lance Berg, Audra Chase, Krystal Clements, Steve Kletke and Romina Zidkovich.
TCS Community Bulletin Board Adoptive and Foster Family Support Group – The Connected Child Adoptive and Foster Families are AWESOME!! challenges.
Parenting our incredible children can present some unique
This support group is for adoptive and foster families in the Calgary Area. If you are an adoptive or foster family (or are waiting to be one), this may be the right group for you. We will be working through the book, “The Connected Child, Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family” and the workbook “Created to Connect, a Christian’s Guide to The Connected Child.” You will be encouraged and equipped with practical help, based on Biblical truths and researchbased interventions specifically developed for adoptive or foster care families. When: We will meet every third Thursday evening, from 8-10 pm. Our first evening will be December 5, 2013 (a meet and greet). We will start the study on January 9, 2014 and continue from there. Where: David and Jody Vriend’s home (Lake Chaparral, Calgary, AB) More Information: Please contact Jody or Dave at 403-254-9596 or [email protected] Cost: No cost for the workbook, but you will need a copy of the book, “The Connected Child,” by Dr. Karen Purvis and Dr. David Cross
Adopting one child won’t change the world: but for that child, the world will change. Unknown
Please note that this form is time sensitive. All orders need to be in no later than Wednesday December 18th and we will NOT be accepting any orders the night of the concert.
Parent Action Committee PAC UPDATE The PAC is now in full swing! About 10-12 parents meet once a month to discuss and implement many of the ways we give support to teachers and to students throughout the year. From hot lunch coordinating, to coupon book fundraisers, to teacher appreciation meals, we are a busy bunch!! We gladly welcome anyone who is interested in helping us at the committee level, as we are still in need of a co-chair and a compassion child coordinator. A great time to check us out would be at our next "meeting", December 9th at 7:30, where we will be having a Christmas Social at my house.... 21 Midpark Cres. S.E. For all of you that are classroom coordinators or phoning parents, we would love to have you join us as well, as we enjoy some appetizers and sweets!
The first of the Teacher Appreciation Meals is set to happen this Wednesday and Thursday evening as the teachers are involved in a very long but rewarding evening with conferences. You will know this already if you are a Grade 5 or 6 parent! A big thank you to those parents to have stepped forward to provide food for each of these meals. As many of you know, each class from Grade 1-6 will have the opportunity to participate in blessing the teachers with one meal per year, and your phoning parent will be contacting you well in advance of the date it has been set for. When everyone gets involved, as they are able, the workload is lighter. The Grade 7 class will assist with providing snacks and sweets for the Grandparents Tea later on in the year and the Grade 9 class will assist with providing food for the Pastor's Breakfast. With the huge task of fundraising for the SALTS trip, we have left the Grade 8 class off of these specific food/meal requests, as this group of parents are already providing so much support to the students and staff with the hot dog lunches regularly provided, the bake sales and the concession booth at Eagle's games.
From your classroom coordinator or phoning parent, you may have already heard from us regarding volunteering for after school parking lot supervision. We support the board in their initiative to make both the Wingate and the TCS parking lot a safer and more efficient "pick-up" experience. Please note that a teacher will be at the Wingate each and every time and we as parents are being asked to give a few minutes to help with the traffic flow and with vehicles pulling in and backing out so that there are no unfortunate accidents. If there is a window of time on a specific day of the week that you could help with, it would be hugely appreciated!! THANK-YOU!!
As the beauty of fall transitions into the joy and anticipation of Christ's birth, may each one of you enjoy an amazing Advent season.
Blessings, Heather McCollister
TCS Open House!! TCS had a very successful open house on November 14th. We had a number of prospective new families that came to visit and have a tour of our school. This would not have been possible without the hard work and help of all of our volunteers!! Thank you to all that helped. Our Junior High Leadership students for helping answer questions and taking people on tours. Mr. Graffunder’s Foods Class who made some outstanding cookies for everyone to enjoy! Mrs. Loeppky’s Drama students for entertaining our guests with their drama production, which was a fantastic way to highlight our Junior High Drama option. We would also like to extend a huge Thank-you to all the parent volunteers and the staff that stayed into the evening to answer questions and help with tours. Mr. Vriend, our Facilities Manager once again went above and beyond with his hours of help before, during and after the Open House. You are all the reason that TCS is the amazing community that it is and we couldn’t have done it without you!!
Kindergarten Action Committee (K.A.C.)
A
ll families of Kindergarten Students please save the date for a “Winter Festival” on January 17th from 7-8 p.m. This will be a great opportunity for families to get to know one another and enjoy some time visiting and playing games together.
Food Bank Donations We will be collecting donations for the Calgary Interfaith Food Bank beginning Dec 3rd through to Dec 20th. Some of the key items that the food bank is requesting at this time of year are pasta and pasta sauce, canned fruits and vegetables, rice, beans and stuffing.
December Hot Lunches
Pizza Day Dec 11th K-9 Dec 12th (k only)
Hot Dog Day Dec 4 and Dec 18
Thank you from TCS Staff!!!
~TCS Staff would like to thank the PAC for the delicious suppers provided by the Grade 5 and 6 Parents of TCS and the PAC during the Parent/Teacher Conferences. We always feel very appreciated and we look forward to those times when we can enjoy great food and fellowship. ~ Our TCS community for blessing us with your cards, gifts, treats and encouragement this Holiday Season
School Banking Attention All Bankers Hockey and Saving Challenge! Make it your goal to save money and enter the Christian Credit Union Hockey and Saving Challenge! Visit a Youth Banking Display at your school and enter to WIN 2 tickets to a Calgary Flames game or a gift certificate! Members can also enter online at www.christiancu.ca. If you open a new account, Christian Credit Union will pass on $5 to your school.
Contest runs from Dec. 1/2013 to Jan. 17/2014. Limit of one entry per member. TCS Banking Hours this month: Tuesday December 3rd @ 2:30 p.m.
Grade 2 Boat Showcase!! Grade 2A and 2B have been studying boats and buoyancy in Science. To show our learning, we built our very own boats!! We held a Boat Showcase and were happy to share our boats with our parents and our friends at TCS.
Grade 3 Bridges Project
The Grade 3 classes had a wonderful time building bridges as a part of their Science Unit. Two of the objectives within this Unit were 1) Building with a variety of materials and 2) Testing materials and designs. The students were really excited to showcase their finished projects to some of the other grades as well as to invited guests. Great Job Grade 3!!!
Way to go TCS!!! Thank you to everyone for supporting our shoe box campaign! The Grade 5 classes were able to deliver the many shoeboxes that were packed by all of you!! Our Grade 9 students will also be going to Samaritan’s Purse to help with packing shoeboxes on Dec 13th so if you haven’t had the chance to fill a shoebox yet you can still do so and drop it off at the school by Dec 12th.
As a TCS community, we are delighted to support our SALTs trip each year. While each fundraising opportunity will be presented to our whole TCS community, please feel no obligation to participate.
Dear TCS Community, Every autumn, the Grade 9 students of Trinity Christian School in Calgary, Canada embark on a voyage of discovery in the Gulf Islands off Canada’s West Coast with SALTS (Sail and Life Training Society). The Pacific Swift, an 80-foot, two-masted schooner, takes students and adult leaders on a trip of wonders. Ancient forests, star-filled nights, waterfalls, cresting dolphins and teeming tide pools introduce students to God’s creation as they’ve never seen it, but the real find is what each teen discovers within. This trip, while eye-opening and at times purely joyous, demands stamina and a degree of humility. Come along and you’re likely to be bumped awake in the night as classmates clamber over you at change of watch, or shake you to take a shift. You will clean the head (toilet). You will wash dishes, sweep floors and haul sails until your arms ache. The usual social clusters will be rearranged into watch groups, so you will work side-by-side with someone you don’t know well. In short, you will step back from the day-to-day concerns of a teenager and simply be part of the crew. You will also have a blast: take part in sing-alongs and amazing worship, swing by a rope into the icy Pacific, eat superb meals, play outrageous games, and take fabulous, fascinating hikes on islands reached by a dory you launched. You will likely see seals and sea lions – possibly whales and dolphins. You may even climb the rigging high above the deck (in a harness, of course). You will be challenged mentally, physically and spiritually, and you will work hard. You will come to know your classmates, your teachers and yourself in a whole new way as you eat, sleep, work and worship together. As these students embark on their last year at TCS, they discover how to tie a sheepshank, steer a ship and read a compass rose. But the real treasure they discover as they sail toward the unknown waters of high school is lasting connection – with God and with each other. by Leslie B. Hedley, teacher
S.A.L.T.S 2013 Our grade nine students had an amazing trip to the West Coast for our annual S.A.L.T.S (Sail and Life Training Society) excursion this fall. This is an annual tradition for our grade nine students. It is a transformational life experience for them as they travel away from home, live on a tall ship for 5 days, experience the beauty of God’s creation, and build community with their classmates.
S.A.L.T.S 2014 Bake Sale Fundraiser
Thank you TCS Community for supporting our Grade 8 Bake Sale! We were able to raise $1150 for our 2014 S.A.L.T.S. trip!!!
Grade 9 Girls Volleyball Wow….Silver for ISAA and Silver for South Central Zone Championships!! Excellent Job Girls...Congratulations on a great season!
Grade 9 Boys Volleyball Congratulations 3J Sr. Boys Volleyball Team! Unforgettable Season! The senior boys volleyball team accomplished something that no other boys team has done in our schools past! The boys played in six tournaments and an entire regular season of play and they never lost a match all year long. The teams final win/ loss tally was and unforgettable 40-0 record!! We worked hard all season long and played in some really tight matches, however, we gelled well as a unit and learned to trust one another on the court when things got difficult. Thanks to our fans and wonderful manager/super mom (Anna-Jo) who supported us all season long! We finished the season off as CISAA Champions as well as South Central Zone Champions in 3J for the first time in our schools history. What an awesome accomplishment!! I am proud of this fine group of young gentlemen who represented our school in such a Godhonoring way all season long! Great work boys!
Grade 7 Girls Volleyball
Congratulations to our Grade 7 Girls for bringing home the GOLD!!!! Way to Go!!
Grade 7 Boys Volleyball The Grade 7 boys had a great season and finished up with a Bronze Medal!! Great Job Boys!!!
Grade 7/8 Girls Volleyball Congratulations on a great season and finishing with a Bronze Medal!! Great Job!!
Grade 7/8 Boys Volleyball Our Grade 7/8 boys finished off the season as Silver Medalists!!! Way to Go Boys!!
Usborne Book Fair
Thank you to Mrs. Nudd for organizing another wonderful book fair during Parent Teacher Conferences and to our wonderful TCS Community for supporting our book fair and helping us to raise funds for our library!!
Junior High Intramurals
" This semester the junior high students decided to host intramurals for Grades 7-9. Intramurals is a series of sports that takes place during recess in the gym. It is mostly for the students who didn't get the opportunity to play school sports. The intramural council voted on volleyball as the first sport and the "season" was terrific. We had a turnout of over 50 junior high students who were all very excited to play the game! Each team got to play each other and the top two teams versed each other in the final. That game was super intense!! Many of the Grades 5-9 students came to watch and cheered very loud. The game was very close and the Musketeers won by 2 points in the third set! The next sport we chose to host is handball. We hope to have a huge turnout and a great time."
By: Alayna and Courtney
Message from Superintendent Board Update TCS Community Bulletin Board TCS Christmas Concert Parent Action Committee Update TCS Open House Kindergarten Action Committee TCS Food Drive for the Calgary Interfaith Food Bank December Hot Lunch Dates Student Banking Information Grade 2 Boat Showcase Grade 3 Bridges Showcase Samaritan’s Purse Shoebox Campaign Update Junior High Honour Roll S.A.L.T.S Information TCS Volleyball 2013 Intramurals
“The Messenger”
December 2013
School Theme for the Year “Worship His Holy Name:” Psalm 145: 3—5
Come Let us Adore Him
Main Office: 403-254-6682
…and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. Luke 1:31-32
Principal Stan Hielema Vice Principal—Junior High Michelle Duimel Sports Coordinator Mark Jonker Development Officer Laura Doornbosch Curriculum Support Cheryl Barnard
Happy December, everyone! In this season of giving, I’d like to suggest that the adults in our students’ lives consider giving the gift of literacy this year. That doesn’t necessarily just mean books. We’ve had this discussion around the office. One parent said she’d be disappointed to be a kid receiving a book for Christmas. For a child who comes from a home filled with books, that may be true. But we know of many children whose homes have sparse reading materials. Some kids may have access to lots of books, but none of them are of interest.
____________ Business Office 403-254-6716 Business Manager John Unrau Accounting Clerk Louise Prefontaine Facility Superintendent Dave Vriend
In her first blog post on Palliser’s website at http://www.pallisersd.ab.ca/literacy/literacy-blog, Palliser Literacy Coach Bev Smith recently shared a very personal story. Her own son could read but chose not to. Despite his parents reading to him from the time he was a baby, despite him having access to a treasure trove of books at home, despite living in a household full of voracious readers, he just didn’t read for fun. Bev shares that she thinks one reason is that her son too seldom had a choice about what to read. Mom bought him lots of books for him, not necessarily books he would have chosen for himself.
Her experience suggests a gift card to a bookstore would be a better choice than choosing a book for him. Give a gift card and then make an outing to the bookstore. Pore over the shelves #100—295 Midpark Way SE, for something that catches the child’s eye. Help the child take the clues from the book front and back covers and the inside panels and look for books that he/she will be keen to read. As Calgary, AB, T2Y 2X1 adults, don’t leap to judgment that the book he/she chooses is too easy. Don’t pressure a child to read something that might be beyond his/her reading abilities. Phone: 403-254-6682 Fax: 403-254-9843 Website: www.tcskids.com E-Mail: [email protected] Facebook: www.facebook/ tcskids
Aside from gift cards, consider giving a gift of your time. Read together. Talk about what the student is reading and what he/she thinks about it. As a gift, students can create and write holiday messages or write a story about a favourite memory of time spent with a parent, aunt or uncle or grandparent. That’s a gift that will be treasured for years to come. Literacy is truly a gift that keeps on giving. Happy holidays, everyone.
Welcome to Trinity Christian School!
Kevin Gietz, Superintendent
Worship His Holy Name Elohim ~ Strong Creator El Elyon ~ Most High El roi ~ God Who Sees El Shaddai ~ God Almighty Yahweh ~ God’s Holy Covenant Name Adonai ~ Lord and Master Yahweh-jireh ~ Yahweh will provide Yahweh-rapha ~ Yahweh who heals Yahweh-nissi ~ Yahweh My Banner Yahweh-shalom ~ Yahweh is Peace Yahweh-raah ~ Yahweh my Shepard Yahweh-sabaoth ~ Yahweh of Hosts Jehovah Lord God The Almighty Son of God Creator Lamb of God Almighty God The Shepard King of Kings Lord of Lords Christ Son of Man The Alpha and Omega ~ Beginning and End Prince of Peace Wonderful Counselor
Board Update – December Messenger Our ACSCS Fall Meeting took place on November 26th. The Board provided an update on August 2015 – our acquisition of additional space in Atrium VI - and discussed other Board priorities including parking lot safety, parental involvement, and our vision for a High School. There was also an update on our Capital Campaign. For those who were unable to attend, here is a brief summary. August 2015 – Under the terms of our Option Agreement with Lansdowne Equity Ventures Ltd., we have until August 2015 to purchase the second floor of Atrium VI. Our Chair, Dave Sterna, shared details on purchasing the entire building versus purchasing the second floor only, considerations about triggering the Option Agreement a year early, discussions with the Christian Credit Union regarding financing, consultations with a tax lawyer regarding possible issues with Canada Revenue Agency, and a floor plan for the second floor prepared by Marvin Spitzke based on consultations with our Principal about the educational needs of our school. There is still some “fine tuning” needed in our due diligence, but the Board is leaning towards recommending to the Society that we proceed with the Option Agreement for the second floor only at this time as it is financially manageable and will properly meet the long term needs of our school for Kindergarten through Grade 9, and to address the acquisition of the remainder of the building at a later date. There will be further information sessions in the new year before an official recommendation is brought to the Society. Parking Lot Safety – As our school population grows, so does the traffic and congestion in our parking lot. There are two major aspects of this issue – the safety of our students and our relationship with our community neighbors. We have been working with our school administration to put processes in place which address these concerns, and we appreciate the cooperation of our parents with this. It is important to recognize that we rely on the goodwill of other parties including Wingate, Health Plus and Lansdowne for the use of their parking spaces, and failure to adhere to the processes put in place could jeopardize these relationships which would result in significantly greater parking lot issues. We are grateful to the parents who have come forward to assist during after school pick-up, and would welcome more volunteers for this. Parental Involvement/Committees – Parental involvement is a key characteristic of TCS, and critical in the ongoing successful functioning of our school. All parents have God given interests, talents and skills that would enrich our school. There are many opportunities and needs for parental involvement. As a Board we want to focus on engaging parents in our school, recruiting volunteers for Committees, and improving our “succession planning” for future Committee and Board members. High School – A High School is part of our TCS Vision, and a priority for the Board. Significant interest was expressed last spring at the meeting hosted by the Wiebes and the survey that was done. The second floor of Atrium VI could accommodate the beginning of a High School for one or two years, but additional space on the 3rd floor of Atrium VI or at another location would be required for long term sustainability. A committee will be formed to look into this further. Capital Campaign – Of the $815,000 that was pledged in our Capital Campaign, $718,000 has been received to date leaving $97,000 yet to come in. While becoming part of Palliser Regional Schools has significantly improved our financial circumstances, the Program Fees alone do not cover the cost of our facility needs. Our plans for acquisition of more space in Atrium Vi include the receipt of all the money pledged as well as additional capital fundraising efforts. If you have any questions about these matters or anything else, feel free email us at [email protected] or speak directly to any Board Member: Dave Sterna (Chair), Devin Shiskowski (Vice-Chair), Gerhard Barnard (Treasurer), Patty Wiebe (Secretary), Lance Berg, Audra Chase, Krystal Clements, Steve Kletke and Romina Zidkovich.
TCS Community Bulletin Board Adoptive and Foster Family Support Group – The Connected Child Adoptive and Foster Families are AWESOME!! challenges.
Parenting our incredible children can present some unique
This support group is for adoptive and foster families in the Calgary Area. If you are an adoptive or foster family (or are waiting to be one), this may be the right group for you. We will be working through the book, “The Connected Child, Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family” and the workbook “Created to Connect, a Christian’s Guide to The Connected Child.” You will be encouraged and equipped with practical help, based on Biblical truths and researchbased interventions specifically developed for adoptive or foster care families. When: We will meet every third Thursday evening, from 8-10 pm. Our first evening will be December 5, 2013 (a meet and greet). We will start the study on January 9, 2014 and continue from there. Where: David and Jody Vriend’s home (Lake Chaparral, Calgary, AB) More Information: Please contact Jody or Dave at 403-254-9596 or [email protected] Cost: No cost for the workbook, but you will need a copy of the book, “The Connected Child,” by Dr. Karen Purvis and Dr. David Cross
Adopting one child won’t change the world: but for that child, the world will change. Unknown
Please note that this form is time sensitive. All orders need to be in no later than Wednesday December 18th and we will NOT be accepting any orders the night of the concert.
Parent Action Committee PAC UPDATE The PAC is now in full swing! About 10-12 parents meet once a month to discuss and implement many of the ways we give support to teachers and to students throughout the year. From hot lunch coordinating, to coupon book fundraisers, to teacher appreciation meals, we are a busy bunch!! We gladly welcome anyone who is interested in helping us at the committee level, as we are still in need of a co-chair and a compassion child coordinator. A great time to check us out would be at our next "meeting", December 9th at 7:30, where we will be having a Christmas Social at my house.... 21 Midpark Cres. S.E. For all of you that are classroom coordinators or phoning parents, we would love to have you join us as well, as we enjoy some appetizers and sweets!
The first of the Teacher Appreciation Meals is set to happen this Wednesday and Thursday evening as the teachers are involved in a very long but rewarding evening with conferences. You will know this already if you are a Grade 5 or 6 parent! A big thank you to those parents to have stepped forward to provide food for each of these meals. As many of you know, each class from Grade 1-6 will have the opportunity to participate in blessing the teachers with one meal per year, and your phoning parent will be contacting you well in advance of the date it has been set for. When everyone gets involved, as they are able, the workload is lighter. The Grade 7 class will assist with providing snacks and sweets for the Grandparents Tea later on in the year and the Grade 9 class will assist with providing food for the Pastor's Breakfast. With the huge task of fundraising for the SALTS trip, we have left the Grade 8 class off of these specific food/meal requests, as this group of parents are already providing so much support to the students and staff with the hot dog lunches regularly provided, the bake sales and the concession booth at Eagle's games.
From your classroom coordinator or phoning parent, you may have already heard from us regarding volunteering for after school parking lot supervision. We support the board in their initiative to make both the Wingate and the TCS parking lot a safer and more efficient "pick-up" experience. Please note that a teacher will be at the Wingate each and every time and we as parents are being asked to give a few minutes to help with the traffic flow and with vehicles pulling in and backing out so that there are no unfortunate accidents. If there is a window of time on a specific day of the week that you could help with, it would be hugely appreciated!! THANK-YOU!!
As the beauty of fall transitions into the joy and anticipation of Christ's birth, may each one of you enjoy an amazing Advent season.
Blessings, Heather McCollister
TCS Open House!! TCS had a very successful open house on November 14th. We had a number of prospective new families that came to visit and have a tour of our school. This would not have been possible without the hard work and help of all of our volunteers!! Thank you to all that helped. Our Junior High Leadership students for helping answer questions and taking people on tours. Mr. Graffunder’s Foods Class who made some outstanding cookies for everyone to enjoy! Mrs. Loeppky’s Drama students for entertaining our guests with their drama production, which was a fantastic way to highlight our Junior High Drama option. We would also like to extend a huge Thank-you to all the parent volunteers and the staff that stayed into the evening to answer questions and help with tours. Mr. Vriend, our Facilities Manager once again went above and beyond with his hours of help before, during and after the Open House. You are all the reason that TCS is the amazing community that it is and we couldn’t have done it without you!!
Kindergarten Action Committee (K.A.C.)
A
ll families of Kindergarten Students please save the date for a “Winter Festival” on January 17th from 7-8 p.m. This will be a great opportunity for families to get to know one another and enjoy some time visiting and playing games together.
Food Bank Donations We will be collecting donations for the Calgary Interfaith Food Bank beginning Dec 3rd through to Dec 20th. Some of the key items that the food bank is requesting at this time of year are pasta and pasta sauce, canned fruits and vegetables, rice, beans and stuffing.
December Hot Lunches
Pizza Day Dec 11th K-9 Dec 12th (k only)
Hot Dog Day Dec 4 and Dec 18
Thank you from TCS Staff!!!
~TCS Staff would like to thank the PAC for the delicious suppers provided by the Grade 5 and 6 Parents of TCS and the PAC during the Parent/Teacher Conferences. We always feel very appreciated and we look forward to those times when we can enjoy great food and fellowship. ~ Our TCS community for blessing us with your cards, gifts, treats and encouragement this Holiday Season
School Banking Attention All Bankers Hockey and Saving Challenge! Make it your goal to save money and enter the Christian Credit Union Hockey and Saving Challenge! Visit a Youth Banking Display at your school and enter to WIN 2 tickets to a Calgary Flames game or a gift certificate! Members can also enter online at www.christiancu.ca. If you open a new account, Christian Credit Union will pass on $5 to your school.
Contest runs from Dec. 1/2013 to Jan. 17/2014. Limit of one entry per member. TCS Banking Hours this month: Tuesday December 3rd @ 2:30 p.m.
Grade 2 Boat Showcase!! Grade 2A and 2B have been studying boats and buoyancy in Science. To show our learning, we built our very own boats!! We held a Boat Showcase and were happy to share our boats with our parents and our friends at TCS.
Grade 3 Bridges Project
The Grade 3 classes had a wonderful time building bridges as a part of their Science Unit. Two of the objectives within this Unit were 1) Building with a variety of materials and 2) Testing materials and designs. The students were really excited to showcase their finished projects to some of the other grades as well as to invited guests. Great Job Grade 3!!!
Way to go TCS!!! Thank you to everyone for supporting our shoe box campaign! The Grade 5 classes were able to deliver the many shoeboxes that were packed by all of you!! Our Grade 9 students will also be going to Samaritan’s Purse to help with packing shoeboxes on Dec 13th so if you haven’t had the chance to fill a shoebox yet you can still do so and drop it off at the school by Dec 12th.
As a TCS community, we are delighted to support our SALTs trip each year. While each fundraising opportunity will be presented to our whole TCS community, please feel no obligation to participate.
Dear TCS Community, Every autumn, the Grade 9 students of Trinity Christian School in Calgary, Canada embark on a voyage of discovery in the Gulf Islands off Canada’s West Coast with SALTS (Sail and Life Training Society). The Pacific Swift, an 80-foot, two-masted schooner, takes students and adult leaders on a trip of wonders. Ancient forests, star-filled nights, waterfalls, cresting dolphins and teeming tide pools introduce students to God’s creation as they’ve never seen it, but the real find is what each teen discovers within. This trip, while eye-opening and at times purely joyous, demands stamina and a degree of humility. Come along and you’re likely to be bumped awake in the night as classmates clamber over you at change of watch, or shake you to take a shift. You will clean the head (toilet). You will wash dishes, sweep floors and haul sails until your arms ache. The usual social clusters will be rearranged into watch groups, so you will work side-by-side with someone you don’t know well. In short, you will step back from the day-to-day concerns of a teenager and simply be part of the crew. You will also have a blast: take part in sing-alongs and amazing worship, swing by a rope into the icy Pacific, eat superb meals, play outrageous games, and take fabulous, fascinating hikes on islands reached by a dory you launched. You will likely see seals and sea lions – possibly whales and dolphins. You may even climb the rigging high above the deck (in a harness, of course). You will be challenged mentally, physically and spiritually, and you will work hard. You will come to know your classmates, your teachers and yourself in a whole new way as you eat, sleep, work and worship together. As these students embark on their last year at TCS, they discover how to tie a sheepshank, steer a ship and read a compass rose. But the real treasure they discover as they sail toward the unknown waters of high school is lasting connection – with God and with each other. by Leslie B. Hedley, teacher
S.A.L.T.S 2013 Our grade nine students had an amazing trip to the West Coast for our annual S.A.L.T.S (Sail and Life Training Society) excursion this fall. This is an annual tradition for our grade nine students. It is a transformational life experience for them as they travel away from home, live on a tall ship for 5 days, experience the beauty of God’s creation, and build community with their classmates.
S.A.L.T.S 2014 Bake Sale Fundraiser
Thank you TCS Community for supporting our Grade 8 Bake Sale! We were able to raise $1150 for our 2014 S.A.L.T.S. trip!!!
Grade 9 Girls Volleyball Wow….Silver for ISAA and Silver for South Central Zone Championships!! Excellent Job Girls...Congratulations on a great season!
Grade 9 Boys Volleyball Congratulations 3J Sr. Boys Volleyball Team! Unforgettable Season! The senior boys volleyball team accomplished something that no other boys team has done in our schools past! The boys played in six tournaments and an entire regular season of play and they never lost a match all year long. The teams final win/ loss tally was and unforgettable 40-0 record!! We worked hard all season long and played in some really tight matches, however, we gelled well as a unit and learned to trust one another on the court when things got difficult. Thanks to our fans and wonderful manager/super mom (Anna-Jo) who supported us all season long! We finished the season off as CISAA Champions as well as South Central Zone Champions in 3J for the first time in our schools history. What an awesome accomplishment!! I am proud of this fine group of young gentlemen who represented our school in such a Godhonoring way all season long! Great work boys!
Grade 7 Girls Volleyball
Congratulations to our Grade 7 Girls for bringing home the GOLD!!!! Way to Go!!
Grade 7 Boys Volleyball The Grade 7 boys had a great season and finished up with a Bronze Medal!! Great Job Boys!!!
Grade 7/8 Girls Volleyball Congratulations on a great season and finishing with a Bronze Medal!! Great Job!!
Grade 7/8 Boys Volleyball Our Grade 7/8 boys finished off the season as Silver Medalists!!! Way to Go Boys!!
Usborne Book Fair
Thank you to Mrs. Nudd for organizing another wonderful book fair during Parent Teacher Conferences and to our wonderful TCS Community for supporting our book fair and helping us to raise funds for our library!!
Junior High Intramurals
" This semester the junior high students decided to host intramurals for Grades 7-9. Intramurals is a series of sports that takes place during recess in the gym. It is mostly for the students who didn't get the opportunity to play school sports. The intramural council voted on volleyball as the first sport and the "season" was terrific. We had a turnout of over 50 junior high students who were all very excited to play the game! Each team got to play each other and the top two teams versed each other in the final. That game was super intense!! Many of the Grades 5-9 students came to watch and cheered very loud. The game was very close and the Musketeers won by 2 points in the third set! The next sport we chose to host is handball. We hope to have a huge turnout and a great time."
By: Alayna and Courtney
