I’ve been thinking a lot about value lately.

Part of that has to do with our family’s decision to sell our house and move out to Abbotsford this year. You never really think about the value of something until you want to sell it…. We have put in a lot of time and energy into our house over the years. Why? Because it’s important to us and we want to care for it. We value our home because we are blessed to have it and we have a responsibility to take care of that blessing.

Unique and Valued

I’ve also been thinking of value when it comes to the students in our school. We value all our students and we work hard to meet their unique needs and provide ways for them to grow and flourish as a whole person. They need to hear from us, and their families, that they have value and are uniquely created in God’s image. It’s all about the whole student and helping them see that they have immeasurable value.

Despite the truth that all our students have immense value, many of them don’t feel or believe it. Over my nearly 11 years in education, I’ve seen an increase in students who struggle with a variety of mental health issues. As a school, we have put in place several excellent support structures for our students. There are even more exciting and important changes on the horizon.

And something new is starting within our student body that I’m really excited about!

Fighting the Messages

At the end of February, a group of eight students attended Signal Hill’s Value Project Summit. Culture is constantly bombarding us with messages that our value comes from our status, possessions, and achieving an unrealistic standard on social media. Our team spent three days looking at what prevents our students from feeling valued. They then worked with a professional designer to create a value week at ACS, which will be held March 31—April 4. Then they presented this value week to a “shark tank” of donors from Signal Hill.

And our ACS team did great!

They have several exciting and creative ways to share with their peers that everyone has value. We as staff, and parents do our best to convey this message to the students in our lives. But it takes on another meaning when it comes from their peers. Join us in supporting this team, their passion, and their important work.

They’re Worth It

Just as I have kept caring for my house over the years because I value it and want to care for it; we, too, need to continue to care for our students in various ways during their time at ACS. Why? Because they have immeasurable value, we need to continue to find ways for them to not only understand this, but believe it and live it.

I’m excited to see our students share this message with their peers and I’m thrilled to see the impact God will have on our community through them.