PACIFIC CHRISTIAN SCHOOL CHRIST-LIKE LIVING, CRITICAL THINKING, AND JOYFUL SERVICE
PACER PRESS November 2014
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Definitely In The Details
ho among us has failed to experience amazement at the beauty of God’s presence as he paints the sunset in a glorious riot of color? And who has not felt his mighty power in the pounding roar of the ocean? Maybe you’ve had the opportunity to see him in all his majesty as you stand at the peak of a ruggedly sculpted mountain gazing down upon the lushly textured valleys and tiny jewel-like lakes that he has spread beneath you. I think it’s easy to exclaim, “Our God is an awesome God!” in these places where his greatness is obvious and expected. But the real trick is to shift our vision from seeing his handiwork in the obvious, to those places that require a second look. We are missing a multitude of opportunities to rejoice in his presence if we fail to glimpse his hand in the small, hidden details of creation. Look for his masterpieces in subtle things: the way the light glints in a horse’s eye, or wool curls on the fleece of a ram. Take time to enjoy the way shadows dapple across a fern’s frond as it sways gently in the breeze. If we don’t occasionally step back and take a moment from our busy lives to really look, we could be ignoring God’s voice as he speaks to us in the details. To really appreciate the amazing lengths that God has gone to create beauty everywhere, it might require getting on your knees to witness the curling tendrils of a tangled vine, or glittering dewdrops clinging to a stalk of grass. Get up close and personal with creation! Choose to see the divine in all its diversity, not only in the roar of the ocean, but also in the perfection of a petal. It is my job as an artist and photographer to showcase His handiwork. It is my prayer as a Christian that you will be inspired to see God everywhere: in the big, the glorious, the obvious, and also, in the small, the fragile and the obscure.
Pacific Christian School www.pacificchristian.ca
“...nurturing students in Christ-like living, critical thinking, and joyful service to become faithful citizens in God’s world.”
ELEMENTARY CAMPUS 671 Agnes St. Victoria, BC V8Z 2E7 elementary@pacificchristian.ca SECONDARY CAMPUS 654 Agnes St. Victoria, BC V8Z 2E6 secondary@pacificchristian.ca Phone 250-479-4532
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Have you seen His world in a grain of sand, or heaven in a flower? If not, ask God to open your eyes. He’s definitely in the details. Dale Huberts, Secondary Instructor: AP Art
As you purchase a variety of cash cards from the school for specific businesses, you earn 5-10% to support your child’s school activities. Eligible activities include the SALTS trip, ski trip, Mexico trip, yearbook, Paris trip and more.
PCS SOFund
Contact the office today or head to http://pacificchristian.ca/pcs-sofund
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Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore. — Psalm 113:2 —
“Let the name of The Lord be praised” is the elementary theme for this school year. Instead of a theme that focused on us, the staff decided to choose one that compels us to focus on who God is, to honour Him in all things, at all times and in all our ways because of who He is. We are learning that He has so many names that reflect different dimensions of His character, each giving us more reasons to “praise His name.” In our classes we are having a good time thinking of what it means to “praise the name of the Lord.” We are all being challenged, teachers and students alike, to test our thoughts, words and actions to see if they really “praise the name of the Lord.” If they don’t, then perhaps they need to be tweaked or even discarded. We are also looking for synonyms for the word ‘praise’ and have so far come up with ‘worship,’ ‘thank,’ ‘honour,’ ‘love,’ ‘bless.’ So, we really can “praise the name of the Lord” in many ways. As unique as each of us is, so are the ways we can demonstrate our praise. The thing is, too, that there is no time, except I guess when we are sleeping, that we are free from this challenge as the psalmist tells us that “from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” Imagine a school where every student, parent and staff member truly “praises the name of the Lord” in every moment of our day. There could be no bullying. There could be no put downs. There could be no foul language. There could be no hurt feelings. There could be no feelings of unworthiness. There would be kindness. There would be compassion. There would be justice. There would indeed be “educational excellence to the glory of God.” So, for us here at PCS this year, this is our goal and we invite you to join the challenge and test every thought, word and deed to see if it is praiseworthy. God bless us all as we seek to be more and more like Him and to give Him praise by the way we live our lives – here at school, at work, at play and in our homes. Anna Welle, Elementary Teacher: Gr. 5
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Welcome Back to School BBQ
B
y virtue of my position as the elementary school principal, I have the privilege of welcoming many new parents registering their children at Pacific Christian School. Over the years I have been at PCS, I have welcomed hundreds of new families! Each time as I shake their hands to “officially welcome them to PCS,” I remind them that PCS is much more than a school where they simply drop off their children each day, but that I hope and pray they will experience adoption into our school community. For the past several years, our annual Welcome Back to School BBQ has become a wonderful tradition of not only welcoming students and families back to school, but also of warmly welcoming new families into our PCS school community.
This September was no exception as we were blessed with an amazing, beautiful evening for delicious barbecued hotdogs along with mouth-watering watermelon! There were line-ups for the food as well as for the large inflatables, as students, staff and parents mingled and celebrated the start of the 55th year in PCS history. Based on the hundreds of hotdogs consumed, we estimated that 800 or more people blanketed the field behind the elementary school. We can praise God for the wonderful community we experience at PCS, and for this wonderful event to open our new school year! We hope you all enjoyed it, and trust you will come back again next year! Bill Helmus, Elementary School Principal
Teachers’ Convention This year’s CTABC convention was held at Langley Christian School (LCS) with the theme “We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our chorus.” The keynote was a collaborative effort between LCS staff and students celebrating Christian education in all areas of school life, interspersed with praise and worship sung by over 1000 educators. The corporate worship times were awesome and uplifting, reminding us
that our faith and our passion for Christian education are shared throughout the province and over the border. The selection of 150+ workshops and lectures was very wellrounded, ranging from “Teaching without a Textbook” to “The Grace-filled Classroom” to “Self-Regulated Learning and Neurodiversity”, which were led by experienced educators, professional psychologists, and administrators. One of the greatest benefits to attending the CTABC convention each year, however, is the collegial bonding PCS staff experience with each other and with professionals from different schools. The shared experience of Christian educators makes the convention feel like a family reunion at times (especially when we are being fed en masse); the opportunities provided us to share new concepts, gain new perspectives, and validate tried and true methods are invaluable. The CTABC convention is a refreshing, inspiring, and integral part of professional development for PCS staff, and we look forward to doing it again next year!
In July, Abbotsford Christian School challenged us with a race to 1000 likes...and here are the three ACS principals wearing their “I Love PCS” t-shirts at the NWCSI/CTABC Teachers’ Convention. Good sports!
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Cor 5:17 Tracey Deringer, Secondary Instructor: Worship / Social Studies / English
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Welcome to New Staff Members at PCS Elementary
Secondary & Business Office
This September, we welcomed two brand-new teachers to the PCS elementary campus, both recent graduates of the University of Victoria and a few years before that, both PCS graduates! Kristen Low is teaching one of our Grade 5 classes this year and Sarah Eng is teaching one of our Grade 6 classes. But let me tell you a few other things they have in common:
In Romans 12:4-8, Paul talks about the diversity and giftedness of people who make up the body of Christ. He goes on to say that each one of us belongs to one another and serves an integral part as we go about serving and living within the Kingdom of God!
• When they were in Grade 7 at PCS, both Kristen and Sarah were honored as the recipients of the Sheila Damude Memorial Award, awarded annually to elementary graduates for “Exemplary Christian Character and Outstanding Service.” • Already in elementary school, both of them advised me (and I’m sure their teachers) that they planned to become teachers someday (when they grew up!). • As they walked across the parking lot sometime during their high school years, I remember both of them commenting to me, “Mr. Helmus, someday I’m going to apply to teach for you at PCS!” • Sarah and Kristen both did practicum assignments at PCS, receiving sterling comments and accolades from their supervising teachers. • Both of them received superlative comments from their supervisors and professors at UVIC, as part of the references contained in their resumes. I could say much more, but suffice it to say that is wonderful to welcome back such quality PCS alumnae to come back and teach at our school. We also welcome Kristyn Leangen and Nicola MacKay as new educational assistants (EAs), working with special needs children. Kristyn starting working at PCS last year, filling a short-term position after completing her Teacher Assistant Certification course. Nicola is a long-term PCS parent, with very extensive experience with special needs children. Both are fitting in very well within our awesome Special Education team. May God bless them as they use their gifts and talents to serve Him here at PCS.
We are very blessed as a school to have so many ‘parts’ with so many gifts that make PCS a great community of colaborers in Christ. From our board and committees to staff, students and families, each one does its part in fulfilling the vision and mission of PCS. We are very happy to introduce you to our newest ‘parts’ here at the secondary campus. New to our Business Office is Mrs. Veronica Godoy. Veronica joined us in April of last year after serving in the Camosun College Accounts Receivable Department. Veronica and her husband George have 2 boys in PCS in grades 6 and 4. Her job consists of all things accounts receivable: tuition, donations, and deposits. In addition to these responsibilities, Veronica is fluent in Spanish and has been a great asset (pun intended) in translating for us at times. Joining the Business Office team is Mrs. Nansy Marsiglia. Officially, Nansy started with us at the end of August and joins us from the admin office at Berwick House. Nansy was also the bookkeeper of their family business in Winnipeg. Her duties include all things payable: invoices, payroll, and reports. Nansy and her husband Massimo have 1 son in grade 7 and have graduated 2 from PCS! Nansy is fluent in Italian and, well, you get the picture! Both Nansy and Veronica were very active volunteering in PCS before working here. One of their big projects was coordinating Grandparents Day. They’ve also been helpful in covering the reception desk and helping Lydia Haight in the Printshop. Joining us on staff as a fulltime teacher is Mrs. Sarah Carrie. Sarah (née Edgar—PCS ’02) has returned to bring her enthusiasm and talents to our International Department. She teaches ESL English 10 and an English 9 class while supporting our international students in their programs. We are blessed to have Sarah return to PCS and share her passion for learning and sharing God’s love with our students!
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Elementary School Band Camp 2014 Fifty students can make a lot of noise; parents who have hosted large birthday parties know that! Now, put any of ten different instruments into their hands and what have you got? Grade 7 Band Camp 2014! In late September, 47 band students enjoyed Camp Qwanoes’ ocean-side vista while practicing their instruments. When not rehearsing, old fashioned playground equipment, laser tag, an obstacle course in the heights of a forest, campfire games, and eating kept everyone busy! The band put in eight hours of ‘making noise’ together, laughing, trying new music, ‘failing’, trying again ... and again, until the music began to take shape and sound like the collaborative effort we were striving for, playing everything from hymn tunes to the Beatles, movie themes and Christmas repertoire. At that point when it was the noisiest – and yes, it’s like that – I reminded myself of just how fantastic music is for these kids: memories are formed, skill development is accelerated, and confidence and perseverance are built. The six professional musicians who joined us from Victoria added another learning experience. Other less obvious moments: Putting others before oneself to balance the numbers participating in an activity, a new PCS child watching, gaining familiarity with classmates,
conversations about God, His answers to prayer in their lives and that of their parents. These are wondrous characterbuilding ‘take aways’ I witnessed. A big THANK YOU! to the parents who brought smiles and skills: Nadine Korby, Tammy Brissette, Bima Ribeiro, Lyn Evans, Tyson King, Ari Cota, and Cecilia Aldea, who helped our event run smoothly, and ensured that everyone slept at least a little bit! Joanne Allers, Elementary Teacher: Band 6-7
Paris Trip 2014 The recent Paris Trip (October 9 – 16) proved to be an incredible adventure for our PCS group. Twenty-four students from grades 11 and 12 joined Madame Milroy and Madame Webster along with chaperones Mr. John Harper and Ms. Linda Thompson for an action-packed week in la belle ville de Paris. The group enjoyed favourite sites such as la Tour Eiffel, l’Arc de Triomphe, les Champs-Elysées, l’Opéra, Notre Dame, Montmartre, le Louvre, and Versailles. Taking le métro everywhere proved to be an efficient and fun way to get around the city. The students enjoyed an added feature: a day trip to the historic cathedral, Chartres, and to the beautiful chateau, Chenonceau. The boat cruise on the Seine River on the last night was a lovely way to say, “Au revoir” to Paris. Both teachers are thankful for taking such a wonderful group to Paris, and they look forward to the next Paris Trip of 2016. Barbara Webster & Sue Milroy, Secondary French Instructors
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PCS Chapel Options Weekly chapel time is an important part of the life of the PCS community from K-12. Devoting time to intentional worship helps to bring us back to the reality that God is everywhere present and that we can freely enter His presence. At the secondary school, weekly chapels are planned by a committee of staff volunteers, with input from interested students. Several years ago, staff and students encouraged the chapel committee to respond to the reality that our student body is diverse and we are all at different places on the spiritual journey. This means that forms and approaches to worship that are relevant, authentic, and meaningful will vary from person to person. For example, prayer, music, acts of service, and artistic expression can all be authentic approaches to worship. This understanding is behind our decision to provide options for the chapel time for a few weeks each semester. For four weeks of Chapel this fall, students have selected from a slate of options, many of which are guided by our chapel theme this year, “Be still and know that I am God.” The options this Fall include: • Contemporary worship planned and led by our Worship Leadership class • Liturgical worship • Prayer and Journaling • Liturgical dance • Capturing God’s creation through observation and drawing • Meeting God in Italy (exploring how architectural works and pieces of art may lead us to worship God) • Bible Study for Grade 8 girls (led by a senior student) • Worship with Room 218 (special education students and friends) • Lectio divina (scripture reading, contemplation and prayer) • Meeting God in the garden (worship through work) • Worship in silence (in the Quaker tradition) We are thankful for the students and staff who are volunteering their time and talents to make these options possible. It is our hope that, amongst these options, students will find meaningful ways to renew their awareness, awe and enjoyment of God’s presence in their lives. After this round of Chapel options, we will resume our corporate chapels until the spring, when another set of options will be offered. We invite students or other community members who have ideas for future options to contact the chapel committee.
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The Class of 2014 Congratulations to the grads of 2014 who were recipients of University of Victoria entrance scholarships for the 2014-2015 academic year. UVic Excellence Scholarship ($5000)* One Student
University of Victoria Entrance Scholarship ($2000) Six Students
President’s Entrance Scholarship ($4000) One Student
Students who received a renewable scholarship are indicated by an asterisk beside the scholarship name.
University of Victoria Entrance Scholarship ($3000) Five Students
The Class of 2028
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Jacob Wong wins again! The AP Studio Art program here at PCS is blessed with talented young men and women, many of whom will one day make a name for themselves in the world of art. It’s not often, however, that you will find a student still in high school that has done that already. Jacob Wong is a student in grade 12 with a promising future in the world of manga. If you have never heard of manga, it’s a Japanese word referring to comics and cartooning in a style of art developed in Japan in the late 19th century. While Jacob is not Japanese, the world of manga, with its stories and distinctive style of drawings, has long fascinated him. His recent trip to Japan with PCS was a dream come true as he visited Akihabara, a world famous cultural center and a shopping district for video games, anime, and manga. Think of it as Disneyland for concept artists. Jacob has been perfecting his skills and honing his computer generated images for many years. His list of awards and winning entries to competitions is impressive. His work was first featured in March of 2014 in the international magazine, TEEN INK, where his image, called Sakura Love, was on the cover. Later in June, another called, Rock On, was published in the same magazine. His work has been hung in the Victoria art gallery as part of a show featuring the work of selected students in our city. He later won a bronze award at the citywide Rebalance competition with a computer generated image entitled, “If Emily Carr Was Alive Today.” This image was then chosen to be published in the fall edition of a North American anthology of student art entitled, Celebrating Art. But Jacob’s work is not limited to computer generated work, or manga. An acrylic painting based on a photograph he took while in Japan was chosen for the cover of Teen Ink Magazine. Jacob has sold pieces of his art and is currently doing commissioned work. With annual sales in Japan of approximately $395 million US dollars, manga is an impressive field to be making an impact in. Blessings on you, Jacob. We look forward to seeing where God will lead you with the talent that he has given you. Dale Huberts, Secondary Instructor: AP Art
If Emily Carr Was Alive Today
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Pacer Athletics Elementary Pacers At the elementary school, starting the second day of the school year, we hit the ground running! Mr. Wild led a team of coaches and volunteers serving more than 70 cross-country runners from the elementary school. PCS competed with other independent schools in Victoria in regular weekly meets, and we also hosted our annual “PCS Invitational” at Beaver Lake again this year. We were especially encouraged to see a large group of grade 6 and 7 runners representing PCS on the trails this season. Night League Basketball at PCS is once again off to a healthy start. Many thanks to our volunteer coaches for the time, energy and expertise they are sharing with our young athletes. With more than 80 PCS players joining 10 teams, and including 12 coaches from our PCS community, we’re proud to be Pacers! Check out vicbball.com to see game schedules for Lansdowne gym (U-11 teams) and SJ Willis gyms (all U-13 and U-15 teams). Middle School basketball has also gotten off to a good start. All of our Grade 7 and our Grade 8 teams have started practicing and are preparing for their first games, coming up in the last week of October. Check out the PCS website under “Pacer Athletics” for schedules and information. Gabe Kremler, Middle School Athletic Director
Secondary Pacers Usually, by this time of year, our athletic photo album is full; however, because of the delayed start to competitions due to the job action, our seasons – which just began practicing – are now finally developing! We are thankful that our student athletes are able to compete, even if the leagues are slightly modified. Here are some snapshots of the fall Pacer athletics—a picture of how athletics can achieve excellence while giving glory to God: • Rowing has gotten off to a great start, with a record number of students coming out. See rowing coach Ralph van Bruggen’s report in this issue of the Pacer Press for more details. • The Jr. Boys Volleyball team secured an undefeated start to the season, with their highlight so far being a 5th place finish (behind three of the top teams in the province) at the Christian Schools tournament. They are a talented team with the ability to go far! • The Jr. Girls Volleyball team is tied for 3rd in their league, and their coaches say that “through passion, dedication, hard work, friendship and teamwork, they have shown God’s grace through a love of volleyball.” We will look eagerly to see how this cohesive team will finish overall! • The fall of 2014 marks an unusual development with the Sr. Boys Volleyball team in that this is the first year in the last 22 plus years that PCS has not had enough boys to field a team. They will be back! • The Sr. Girls Volleyball is having a solid season. Their lower Island playoffs are fast-approaching (Nov.1st at Parklands). The team will gear up for the playoffs at the 20-team Christian Schools tournament where they will see some of the top provincially-ranked teams. Their goal is to advance from Lower Islands to the Island playoffs (Nov. 14/15), where a strong showing could qualify them for Provincials. No matter where they ultimately place this season, this team is having a great time learning together. As one player said after their most recent match, “This is the most encouraging team I’ve ever played on!” John Stewart, Secondary Athletic Director
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Elementary Cross Country 2014 Once again, we had record numbers of students participating in our elementary crosscountry program this year. Around 70 students from Grades 3-7 trained hard and ran well each week throughout our cross-country season. We ran at beautiful courses from Dallas Road at Clover Point to Beaver Lake and Beacon Hill Park. The weather cooperated and we had blue skies and no rain for almost every meet. It was great to see improvements as students made gains with their fitness level and place-finishing each week. Well done to all students who participated in cross-country this year. Note that Running Club has now started and we run after school three times a week: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 3:00–3:30, weather permitting. Parents are always welcome to join us. Hope to see you there! Will Wild, Elementary Assistant Principal
Rowing We’ve had a great start to our rowing season at PCS. We had a record 57 students express interest in participating in rowing. However, after PCS alumna Rosie DeBoef’s challenging dry-land training, the team settled in at 29 dedicated student rowers. Approximately 85% are rowing for the first time! The remaining 15% of experienced rowers have been invaluable mentors to the novice rowers, helping them with racing, technique, and navigating crew boats along the correct flow pattern of the lake. The Crabfest Regatta was this season’s first taste of competition. All individuals were happy to participate in crew races and complete the 500 meter distance. Each crew member represented the school well, showing a few signs of discouragement for not reaching the top three in the finals. The pleasant weather conditions contributed to an enjoyable regatta that finished ahead of schedule. The Crabfest Regatta was made unique by the christening of a new rowing club eight: the Ralph van Bruggen (editor’s note: this honour is often reserved for Olympians; we congratulate Mr van Bruggen for his dedication to the sport of rowing and his strong character.) The PCS team rowed in the Ralph van Bruggen for the first time and won their race! I was honored to represent our community with a presentation to the rowers, coaches, umpires, and parents. I shared about the life lessons learned from rowing such as team work, community building, and recognizing how sport can prepare us for future life challenges. Gordon Sund, the head umpire, e-mailed me after the regatta and passed along his appreciation for my presentation.
Our most recent regatta, October 18-19, was organized by PCS coaches. Our team participated in 11 events. Each of our rowers had a minimum of 2 races, with a qualifying heat and a final. Our team was excited and bolstered by our three second place finishes. The events included The Junior Novice Boys Quad, the Senior Novice Women’s coxed eight and the Senior Novice Women’s Quad. We are anticipating each day of training over the next three and a half weeks before the City Championships on November 15-16th, adding one extra dry land session to our training schedule. As a fleet representing PCS, we are discovering that if we keep our body, sight, and heart, focused on The Creator, our crews will row a great race regardless of whether or not they ascend the podium. Ralph van Bruggen, Secondary Instructor: Art / Christian Studies / Drafting / Rowing
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Performing Arts Studio
Educational Excellence to the Glory of God continues to flow from the old “Band Room” or “Choir Room” on the secondary campus. But now we are referring to it as the “Performing Arts Studio”! Over the summer, a donor who was encouraged by the performing arts program and concerts, offered to pay the costs associated in renovating the room to help it serve the students even better. Thanks to volunteers, staff and many trades people, the project has been completed. Thank you to this generous individual who felt led to encourage us all. The students are experiencing a renewed vision for excellence. The staff (especially Mr. Howe!) love the ‘new’ space and visitors new to PCS are encouraged by what they see. We are looking forward to many performances in the future as students continue to be nurtured in performing arts. Come by for a tour sometime and catch the vision! You might have a similar vision for another area of the school…be sure to let us know.
Chris Berghuis, Development Director chris.berghuis@pacificchristian.ca Looking for before or after school childcare? Check out...
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