Shinning for Christ!

Kindergarten learners are thriving in their classrooms as they grow academically and deepen their understanding of God's story. 

At this point in the year, teachers are working hard on foundational reading skills and math concepts. Students have also unpacked God’s big story of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. They have discovered their uniqueness as precious children of the King (Creation), how they make mistakes (Fall), have a need for a Savior (Redemption), and are invited into helping others (Restoration). While this is a great foundation to help students be rooted in a biblical worldview, it also applies to their learning. 

Throughout the year, kindergarten students explore what it means to Shine for Christ. In recent FLEx work, students connected their classroom learning to service through an integrated study of science, art, and faith.

Guided by Mrs. Battjes and Mrs. Clousing, students reflected on how God created each person in a special way. Everyone is unique! Students created artwork highlighting things they are good at and things that are hard for them, celebrating how God uses our differences to bless others. As part of their science curriculum, students studied plants by collecting flowers and greenery found around campus. They practiced being creation enjoyers as they observed God’s world, and they were beauty creators as they pressed and dried flowers. Students then created pinch pots and used their flowers to decorate them. The finished pots were delivered to Rising Kites singkites.org/(a coffee shop that provides employment and job training to individuals with intellectual disabilities while fostering community) as a gesture of encouragement and gratitude, allowing students to share their gifts with the community and live out what it means to Shine for Christ.

We are thankful for the ways our kindergarteners are learning to shine for Christ each day.

Preschool Learning at BCCS!

Preschool is delightful! Each day is full of exploration, play, learning, and community, all done under the guidance of qualified teachers who love God and love kids. We have three big goals for our three- and four-year-olds: to deepen their love for the Lord, to grow their love of learning, and to become independent inside and outside of the classroom. Each day, students work on important skills that teachers intentionally help them put into practice.

For instance, three-year-old students were community builders by creating a sign to welcome veterans home from the airport. Over several days, they explored what signs are used for in their classroom and then applied that learning in a meaningful, real-world way.

We also see our place-based preschool class studying water through a variety of engaging, hands-on experiences, from water play to building a rain barrel, while exploring why access to clean water is so important.

To extend learning and share God’s love, teachers challenged students to earn coins for Filters of Hope by completing acts of service outside their normal routines. Children got busy emptying the dishwasher, bringing in wood for a fire, organizing shoes and coats, washing windows, helping grandparents, and more! At school, students eagerly shared how they helped at home and used their earned coins to purchase four water filters for people in need! Our preschoolers reflected that helping others made them feel good. 

These experiences are a great example of how teachers design learning that is engaging, meaningful, and connected to real needs so that students see AND live God’s story.

A Flourishing Community: Friendship, Trips, and Watersheds!

Watershed

In grade grade, students study the water cycle, while in seventh grade, they focus on weather and watersheds. Our BCCS property sits at the confluence of three different watersheds: two creeks that flow into the Grand River—the largest river in Michigan—and one that flows into the Kalamazoo River through the Rabbit River. Our goal was not only for students to understand these watershed connections, but also to recognize how what we do at home and on our property can impact those watersheds, creeks, rivers, Lake Michigan, and ultimately all of creation. To support this learning, fifth and seventh-grade students collaborated to create pamphlets personalized to the watershed where they live. These pamphlets were designed to educate our families about how everyday choices affect local watersheds and the larger water systems they are connected to!

Take a Trip!

This trimester, a highlight of the intentional work of our teachers was a multi-subject project in which fifth-grade students used math, language arts, and social studies to plan a trip across the country.

In math, students applied skills such as adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing with decimals to calculate the cost of their travel, including gas, food, lodging, and attraction tickets. They even planned for unforeseen expenses and rising gas costs. In social studies, students researched historical attractions in various parts of the country, such as the Liberty Bell and Arlington National Cemetery. In ELA, students created persuasive travel brochures to encourage readers to embark on a road trip to visit these historical sites.

Project highlights included traveling with a partner, choosing a vehicle (from a bus to a 1969 Camaro), and making budgeting decisions, such as splurging on nicer hotels or opting for more affordable motels. Students shared that they wanted to eat at restaurants they had researched, were surprised by the cost of dining out, and worked hard to persuade readers! 

Building Friendships 

In social studies, our first graders learn about rules and citizenship. To go deeper, students considered the rules on the playground and the importance of playing safely and fairly. They brainstormed common problems that could arise, as well as possible solutions to each problem. They discussed what playing together should look like, sound like, and feel like. Finally, they wrote helpful tips and shared them with our kindergarten friends across the road. We’re thankful for first-grade problem solvers!

Celebrate the Light!

What a celebration! In March, we hosted Celebrate the Light, an event highlighting both creativity and the light of Christ. Families danced in the dark, molded clay, prayed for our leaders, created luminaries to illuminate scripture, steered robots, made sound into light, worshiped together, and so much more. We loved seeing our community come together for such a meaningful and fun evening!

Winterim: New Ways of Learning!

This February, BCCS sixth through eighth-grade students had the opportunity to participate in a one-of-a-kind week of learning called Winterim. Held last week, Winterim once again gave students the opportunity to step outside the traditional classroom experience and into something dynamic and hands-on. Over four days, students participated in two courses of their choosing, diving into subjects that sparked curiosity and expanded their understanding of learning, vocation, faith, skills, and culture.

Winterim courses spanned an array of themes, including career exploration, hobbies, extended language and art study, and off-campus adventures. From culinary creations to ceramics, from community service to experimenting with 3D printing, the variety of offerings ensured that every student could explore an interest or try something entirely new. Some embraced outdoor adventures like snowmobiling, while others explored artistic talents or future career pathways. The energy throughout the week was contagious, as learning spaces buzzed with creativity, collaboration, and discovery.

Winterim is more than just a break from routine. It is an intentional opportunity for students to develop lifelong learning habits, to see how their unique gifts and talents fit into God’s greater story, and to experience the joy of learning in new ways. It challenges students to be curious, courageous, and engaged participants in the world around them.

We are so grateful that our students had the chance to learn in such unique ways, and we appreciate the hard work of our teachers in bringing Winterim to life. We also want to express our heartfelt thanks to the many community partners who led classes, visited our campus, or welcomed our students for off-campus experiences. Their support was an invaluable part of making Winterim a success.

A Flourishing Community: Plants, Podcasting, and a Slice of Heaven

Slice of Heaven

As part of social studies learning, Mr. DeVries helped students connect how the United States colonies shared similar cultural, political, and economic values as England, just as God’s people should share the same love, Spirit, and goodness found in Heaven. If we are a colony of heaven, that should have some implications! Students were challenged to bring restoration and attributes of Heaven to the relationships they have on Earth.

In response, they filled out a three-week calendar with a different challenge each week and a different task each day. The goal was simple: bring a slice of Heaven to those around them with simple acts of kindness.

Social studies learning in Mr. DeVries’ class connects to the storyline of “Delight Grow and Go”. This unit allowed students to specifically think about growing to be intentional and to go and act, even in seemingly small ways, to share Christ’s love here on Earth. 

Podcasting and Voice 

In informational writing, eighth-grade students practiced researching, synthesizing information, and more, with their learning centered on the topic of sustainability. Recognizing the importance of stewarding both creation and resources in our own lives, students chose a topic they felt passionate about (sports, fishing, hunting, clothing, etc.) and developed a podcast that explained an issue and how to engage in these activities in a more sustainable way. Working with a partner, students researched their chosen topics,  learned the basics of podcasting, recorded a session, and edited it to produce high-quality work. Writing and researching are essential skills, but so is creatively sharing what is learned!

Planting Community

Throughout the year, kindergarten students explore what it means to Shine for Christ. In recent FLEx work, students connected their classroom learning to service through an integrated study of science, art, and faith.

Guided by Mrs. Battjes and Mrs. Clousing, students reflected on how God created each person uniquely. Students created artwork highlighting things they are good at and things that are hard for them, celebrating how God uses our differences to bless others. As part of their science curriculum, students studied plants by collecting flowers and greenery found around BCCS. They practiced being creation enjoyers as they observed God’s world, and they were beauty creators as they pressed and dried flowers. Students then created pinch pots and used their flowers to decorate them.

To extend their learning, the finished pots were delivered to Rising Kites (a coffee shop that provides employment and job training to individuals with intellectual disabilities while fostering community) as a gesture of encouragement and gratitude, allowing students to share their gifts with the community and live out what it means to Shine for Christ.

The World of Learning

The following article contains a fascinating summary of a variety of educational topics. While only one outside resource, Edutopia shares about some prevalent topics. This website is not a guiding tool for BCCS, but it was great to see reinforcement of our decisions on things such as cell phone policy, learning improvement goals, time outside, and the vital role of a Christian teacher! 

Check out the full findings here!

A Flourishing Community: Puzzles, Water, and Beauty!

Pieces of the Puzzle

During middle school small groups and elementary family groups, students spend time together deepening their faith and building community. Last week, all first through eight grade learners gathered to create puzzle pieces, with each piece listing both talents and challenges. It was powerful to observe learners hear from peers about their gifts, and also personally reflect on their own growth opportunities. The finished puzzle pieces are displayed in our hallway as a symbol of a Christ-centered community.

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:27

Water!

As our place-based preschool class went through their water study, students engaged in a wide range of fun and meaningful learning activities, from playing in water to building a rain barrel. They also explored why clean water is so important.

To extend learning and share God’s love, teachers challenged students to earn coins for Filters of Hope by completing acts of service outside their normal routines. Children got busy emptying the dishwasher, bringing in wood for a fire, organizing shoes and coats, washing windows, helping grandparents, and more! At school, students eagerly shared how they helped at home and used their earned coins to purchase four water filters for people in need! Our preschoolers reflected that helping others made them feel good. 

This experience is a great example of how teachers design learning that is engaging, meaningful, and connected to real needs so that students see AND live God’s story. Great work, preschoolers!

Beauty Creators 

Congratulations to our talented 1st–8th grade students and to our creative art teachers, Mrs. Bergsma and Mrs. Bruinsma! Their mixed-media artwork, Love Your Neighbor, received the highest number of votes from attendees at the Christian art exhibit, Colors of Praise. The students voted to use their cash prize to purchase food items for our Buist giving project. This piece will be hung in our East Campus conference room!

A Flourishing Community

Celebration of Learning 

Our fifth-grade students recently completed a FLEx (Formational Learning Experience) in which they wrote “stories of hope” and shared that work with individuals undergoing cancer treatment. To conclude the project, they welcomed more than 70 guests to a special Celebration of Learning. Attendees heard about the students’ learning outcomes, listened to the students’ stories, and joined together in prayer over the books. It was a powerful time of reflection on God’s perspective and a joyful celebration of how He will use these stories to bring hope and encouragement to others!

Thankful Writing

Our first graders have been learning how to write prayers of thankfulness to God and how to use their words to encourage others. To put this into practice, they visited Railside, where they sang, prayed, and helped build community with residents. Students shared their Bible memory work as well as the prayers they had written. Later, they took time to reflect on the experience:

• “I felt warm and good….I was surprised by the sucker.” (one resident shared a treat)

• “God felt really happy. We were saying His words.”

• “We could get to know more people.”

• “One person said she would hang my picture in her room!”

We are Learners

Our students are learners, and so is our staff! Last month, teachers focused on strengthening practices that improve the student experience. They explored new ways to use assessments to better support individual learners, and they designed FLEx (Formational Learning Experiences) that help students grow as disciples. They even braved the wild weather to walk the trails and visit three outdoor learning spaces. We are grateful for dedicated professionals who love God and love helping students thrive!

A Flourishing Community

Snapshots of life at BCCS and why it is a great place to learn!

Storyline in Music

Miss Davis shares her love of music with nearly all our students, teaching both Music and Choir. Her storyline “Why Worship?” invites students to reflect more deeply on their participation and motivation. Here are a few thoughtful middle school reflections on "Why Worship?":

-I worship because God heals and even when I’m in my lowest of lows, God takes me to the highest of highs. 

-I worship because I have a God who deserves everything we can give Him

-I worship because it’s my time with God and a way to get away from the world. 

-I worship because it's the least I can do to thank God for saving me. 

-I worship because God held my hand through my hardships and troubles 

Social Studies Past and Present

Early this trimester, BCCS parent, veteran, and author Ron Jansen visited our eighth-grade classrooms to share about his time serving in the United States Marine Corps. Mr. Jansen not only offered powerful stories from his service but also reminded our students of the importance of supporting veterans within our community. While daily activities such as conducting research, reviewing primary sources, and creating fictional soldiers engaged learners, his message connected to our students’ study of the Civil War and their 60-Year Learning Targets of recognising that all people are made in God’s image and demonstrating courage and grace in serving others.

We’re so grateful to Mr. Jansen for his service and for inspiring our students to learn, reflect, and live out their faith in meaningful ways!

Math Counts

We are grateful to New Lift Thrift Store for many reasons! Early this month, it was because our students were able to visit as an extension of their math learning. Sixth-grade students are using their understanding of percentages and proportions to find the savings realized by shopping at New Life Thrift Store. They compared the prices of used clothes to those of new ones. They talked about the importance of reusing. And they also volunteered at the store as members of the community!