Congratulations Class of 2020

The Class of 2020 had a school year and graduation like none before them. This group of students had 8th grade altered by the COVID-19 pandemic, but they still were still able to conclude their school year together online. 

On the evening of June 4, we celebrated the graduating class, the work they have done at BCCS, and most importantly, the work God has done in their lives. Each of the 8th-grade teachers spoke to the students at graduation and left them with this challenge: “As you move into high school, you will be faced with joys and successes, as well as sorrows and failures. But through it all, remember God’s faithfulness and your place as a witness for His glory in His story. Know that you will always find encouragement and love from your teachers at BCCS. You will always be OUR students.”

This school year was filled with great joy, but also great sorrow. However, we were able to rely on God’s faithfulness through it all. It is our deep hope and prayer that our students will continue to find their place in God’s story and live in a way that glorifies God!

Welcome Home

The video was created by a BCCS alumni currently attending Calvin University. He wanted to help share our story with others and did an amazing job!

As we worked to develop a new logo, one of the best parts was listening to parents and teachers talk about our Christ-centered community. At BCCS, we want each child to realize how much God loves them, how God has gifted them, and that God calls them to use their gifts to serve others.

Your child is important.

New Visual Representation

Byron Center Christian School is excited to share the new visual representation of our school. We have always been a Christ-centered community, focusing on the growth and success of the whole child, but our hope is that our new logo will better represent our school to this community. 

The “B” with a cross through the center represents Christ as our center. The portion of the cross extending below the “B” indicates that faith is the foundation of everything we do at BCCS. Since 1917, we have been providing a high quality, Christ-centered education and we look forward to continuing to do that for many years to come!

The video below was created by a BCCS alumni who is now attend school at Calvin University! It shares a little more about our school!

Good Samaritan Project

Each year, our 8th grade students conclude their time at Byron Center Christian School by completing the Good Samaritan project. The project is part of their geography class and has a variety of components that requires them to use skills acquired while in school. While the project itself is large, in short, each student is given the freedom to identify and research a need (either in our immediate community or outside it) and then find a way they can help meet it. The unique aspect this year is that students worked on this project during COVID-19. Even not being in school could stop work from being done!

The reason this project is so important is that we want students that leave BCCS to not only be able to identify needs or problems in their community, but also be willing to be a part of the solution. The results range depending on the student. Some mow lawns for elderly neighbors, some babysit, some pray for community members, some sell products and donate proceeds to a church or local food bank, others collect needed materials for charitable organizations in other countries or provide Bibles to those that do not have access to them. 

It is amazing to see how God works through these projects. Our prayer is that He would be glorified through the work of each 8th grade class!

Take a look at the slides below to see some of the ways God is working. These are just a few of a wide variety of projects, but it is awesome to see the unique ways 8th graders decided to serve!

Glimpses

Read this powerful observation from a BCCS teacher:

Your children are amazing, and I praise God for how he has gifted each one. I am grateful for the variety in this class, the smiles, sense of humor, the listeners (really appreciate those), and I appreciate those that do little things to help others without anyone noticing. Today during lunch a saw another student invite another student to sit by them while they ate. I had another student that cleaned up and organized all the tables after lunch without me asking them to do that. I had some students help put up chairs after school because we were let out late. There was a student that took time to explain the assignment to another student or help talk through the experiment we were doing. Those students didn't do that because I told him, they just did it. I have glimpses of God each day in the lives of your children, and that makes this job such a blessing. With that said, I see the temptation to say or do things that do not please the Lord. So I ask for prayers for our students to resist the temptation to say unkind words, or do something to just bother another student.

Challenge for this week: Ask your child what is something kind they did or said to someone else this week? Was there a time this week you kept a classmate in check and reminded them to use kind words and actions (or stop what you are saying or doing)? We can all work at holding each other accountable. Proverbs 27:17 " As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another.

3rd grade has been writing with their pen pals all year to both practice writing skills and build community! This spring, they spent an afternoon together worshiping, having a snack, and making memories! #bccs #bccsthirdgrade https://buff.ly/3N41dDT

God is working at BCCS! We are excited to launch the With Faith Capital Campaign, the next phase of campus expansion and renovation! Watch the video link in our bio and find out more at www.bccs.org/withfaith! #bccs

Stay tuned to your email and our social media channels as we will share an exiting update regarding BCCS facilities tomorrow! #bccs #bccswithfaith

Last week we also celebrated all four of our kindergarten classes and the great year our young learners had! #bccs #bccskindergarten

Coming soon! Wednesday we will share some exiting news about the future plans at our West Campus! #bccs

Congratulations to the class of 2023! Last week we had a great graduation celebration as students completed their time at BCCS! #bccs #bccsmiddleschool

As the school year closes, there are many thoughts and emotions, but one is definitely thankfulness. Thankful for each student that walked our halls and how they grew. Thankful for amazing parents. Thankful for our supportive community. Most of all, thankful for God's provision and blessing on another school year! #bccs

Here is our last group from the class of 2023! We look forward to celebrating each of you this evening! #bccs #bccsmiddleschool

Today is graduation! Congratulations to these students form the class of 2023! #bccs #bccsmiddleschool

Today we congratulate this group of students from the class of 2023! God bless you as you head to high school this fall! #bccs #bccsmiddleschool

Our 8th-grade students are in their last week at BCCS and Thursday we celebrate the work God is doing in their lives! Congratulations to this group of graduates! #bccs #bccsmiddleschool

Happy Memorial Day as we remember those who have given their lives! #bccs

5th grade had a great end-of-year trip to the Air Zoo! #bccs #bccsmiddleschool

5th grade had a great end-of-year trip to the Air Zoo! #bccs #bccsmiddleschool

Earlier this month kindergarten students had fun learning about pill bugs (and getting their hands dirty) in science! #bccs #bccskindergarten

Earlier this year 6th grade spent a morning on an art trip to Frederick Meijer Gardens to see some great work and practice some of their skills! #bccs #bccsmiddleschool

Earlier this year 6th grade spent a morning on an art trip to Frederick Meijer Gardens to see some great work and practice some of their skills! #bccs #bccsmiddleschool

4th grade is learning about forms of energy including electricity. Students have enjoyed working with circuits and a visit from some linemen that work at Consumers Energy! #bccs #bccsfourthgrade

Students in 1st grade have been doing some great exploring in science! #bccs #bccsfirstgrade

4th grade made playdough for preschool students to help teach them to write their names. However, they also had to use their knowledge of fractions and measurement to solve problems in order to uncover the recipe! #bccs #bccsfouthgrade

Uniquely Created

The following is a note from one of our teachers that was shared with her parents. It provides some great perspective to think about!

I often talk to the class before I pass back tests or assignments about comparing what each other received as a grade. We discuss how we compare grades, clothes, looks, and talents. We often feel like we never measure up. We won't because God made us all different with different abilities, backgrounds, and stories. I don't want a class of all the same students. God didn't want a world with all the same people. How do we stop comparing and be content with who God created us to be? Even parents (I know cause I'm one) worry we are not measuring up as a parent. We worry about what our kids look like, act like, what their projects might turn out like if I let them do it all themselves (let them do it themselves-kids and teachers know when kids get help), should my child be in this activity or not, is everyone else doing lessons maybe my child should be too? How are we as parents with comparing ourselves to other parents?  We do not need to do what other families are doing because each family is different, and have different gifts and stories as well. Our family story is different from any other family and that is okay. God is using each of our families differently to carry out his master plan. Easy to say, but harder to actually do.

Take some time to talk with your family this week and discuss how we compare ourselves to others.  Make a list of 5 amazing ways God has blessed your family with certain gifts and talents. Feel free to tell each family member what they are good at, or what unique qualities they possess. We always look at our negatives… let’s find the positives in each other and work on seeing the wonderful ways God has created us!

New Orchestra Program!

This year, for the first time, Byron Center Christian School (BCCS) is offering orchestra as an option in our music program. We currently have 21 brave 5th and 6th graders in our orchestra which includes 12 violins, 2 violas, 6 cellos and 1 bass. Director Ashley Kooistra stated that “It's a blessing for BCCS to finally have an orchestra program alongside band and choir.” The goals of the BCCS orchestra program are to ensure students grow as musicians and as children of God, and build community by sharing the joy of music with others.

Our orchestra performed in the 5th and 6th Grade Christmas Concert and will perform for Grandparents’/Special Friends’ Day. They will also have the opportunity to perform side-by-side with the South Christian High School orchestra, an experience we hope will build community between schools and allow students to witness what they will be capable of in a few short years.

Miss Kooistra also commented, “It touches my heart how excited and enthusiastic these kids are about orchestra, and I'm excited I get to share my love of orchestra with them. It's evident that these students are going to set a strong foundation for the BCCS orchestra program. Some are already teaching their younger siblings how to play their instruments! I can't wait to see what God has in store for our orchestra program, and how He will use it for His glory.” 

We eagerly anticipate seeing how this new program will grow and impact our students and our school!

Science Learning Updates

BCCS uses Cereal City Science for its science instruction across all grade levels. This year, staff is introducing Next Generation updated curriculum. The goal is to incorporate even more hands-on learning and critical thinking in the subject area, especially in our elementary grade levels. Students are also able to use more engineering and math skills because the updates better incorporate those components in the lessons. For example, in the second grade Physical Science unit on Structures and Properties of Matter, students were given materials to build a “prototype” to accomplish a particular task. After direction from the teacher, students broke into work groups, created designs, and built their “prototypes.” To conclude their work, they presented their ideas, tested their products in front of the class and collaborated on what worked (or did not work) and why. 

Watching the lesson, it was awesome to see the students so focused in their group work and excited for one another’s success in the testing stage. 

As the school year continues, we look forward to the continued improvements in our science-specific learning!

From the Principal's Desk: Merry Christmas

As Christmas quickly approaches, so have the festivities celebrating Jesus’ birth at BCCS. Several programs and chapels have led our students and families closer to the celebration of our Savior’s birth.  Our Christmas celebrations at school will end this week but will continue in your churches and with family and friends. With the advent themes of hope, peace, joy and love, we are blessed to be able to celebrate the most wonderful gift we were given.

Each day is a gift, as is each day we share God’s love with your children. However, the Christmas season provides a wonderful opportunity to guide our students’ hearts toward the true gift of Christmas. We are blessed to have students eager to share in this love at BCCS.

As we reflect this advent season, it is easy to get caught up in the Christmas celebrations, but let us not lose sight of how our God became man and was born in a manger. The image of Christ, the Prince of peace and King of kings, being born as a baby in such humble surroundings, is a beautiful reminder of His love.

I pray you and your family might find peace, hope, joy and love throughout the remainder of the Christmas season. 

Merry Christmas!

James Onderlinde

New Preschool and Kindergarten Programs!

Byron Center Christian School is excited to announce that we will be offering new early education programs for the 2020-2021 school year. These will be in addition to the classes we currently offer. Details and information on all programs can be found on our website under the ‘Academics’ tab.

In preschool, we will now be offering a full-day class option. It will be held five days per week from 8:30 to 3:30 (the same hours as elementary school). If five days are not needed, parents will have the option to enroll their child in full-days on M/W/F or T/TH. This is a multi-age classroom, meaning it is for both three and four-year-olds. Children must be potty trained and three years old on or before 9/1/2020. Tuition for full-day preschool will be the same as tuition for kindergarten and prorated if choosing the two or three day option. Like our current preschool classes, students will learn from a qualified, certified teacher, using the Creative Curriculum for Preschool. 

In kindergarten, we are excited to add a progressive kindergarten class option. Students in this class will begin at three days per week (M/W/F), add a fourth day in November, and then a fifth day in March. Families will still be able to choose part-time or full-time kindergarten, but now will have the option of enrolling in progressive if they would prefer that for their child. The other change is that part-time kindergarten will be offered only on M/W/F from 8:30 to 3:30 each day.

Finally, the West Campus will feature a before and after-school care program for all preschool and kindergarten students. Before-school care will run from 7:30 to 8:15 and after-school care will run from 3:30 to 5:30. Rates for these programs will be finalized in the spring. Currently, before and after-school care will only be offered at the West Campus. 

If you have questions about these programs, please contact Andy Reidsma by calling 878-3347, emailing reidsma@bccs.org or just stop by the office. As a reminder, priority registration for preschool will open December 16 and registration for all preschool and kindergarten classes will open January 14. Reserve your class space before they fill or share the information with friends, family or co-workers looking for a school home for their children!