As a principal, I’ve seen a lot of things. But nothing prepared me for the day last year when I got “a-quack-ed.” Imagine this: I walk into my office, ready for a typical afternoon of emails, meetings, and decision-making. But something’s off. There’s an unusual sense of stillness in the room, a quiet—too quiet—until I [...]
In 1991, I was a grade 9 student at Abbotsford Christian Secondary School. I bused to school every day with the other Chilliwack and Agassiz kids, had a blue top locker in the hallway that now leads to the mechanics shop (my locker combination was 27-54-39), and spent most of my free time making [...]
Our bi-weekly Friday morning chapel is one of those things that makes the elementary campus just a little extra wonderful. Our kindergarten students joined us for chapel for the first time last week Friday, and hearing 450 children’s voices singing praise songs together is the best. What a privilege it is to offer Christian education. [...]
On New Year’s Day, my family gathered at my mom’s house for dinner together in honour of what would have been my Dad’s 72nd birthday. In the afternoon as the turkey was cooking in the oven, we all headed outside. The weather was cold and crisp, the sky clear. Afternoon Booked Solid With all the [...]
In August, as I was cleaning up my office in anticipation of a new year, I came across a book called “Advice for a New Principal” that was given to me by my last class as a teacher at ACS. It was written by the students from 2A in 2020. Although it’s my third year as [...]
A few weeks ago, my son came home from kindergarten and shared that at recess he played with the gnome. I’m pretty familiar with the playground and the areas where kids play. There’s the little toy, the big toy, the forest, the soup tree, and the sandbox (also known as the long jump pit) but [...]
For many of our ACS families the parent-school partnership kicks off with a meeting in the principal’s office. Not because their child is in any trouble but because, as a school, we feel that partnering well with parents is a crucial component to creating a school community where students will flourish. A Sweet Response In [...]
The events of the last few weeks have left us feeling shaken and vulnerable. Many of our school families were horribly impacted by the flooding. We have family, friends, coworkers, and classmates who are trying to recover from devastating losses. All of us, including our children, are trying to find a sense of security amidst [...]
For those of us who’ve been in our ACS community a while, the name “Sandra Elgersma” makes us think about singing, xylophones, recorders, concerts, and musicals. Many ACS alumni, honorary members, and staff fondly remember our former music teacher, Miss Sandra Elgersma, who taught children music at Abbotsford Christian School from 1988-2012. If you had [...]
Prepare yourself, I’m going to complain. Yes, it’s probably not healthy and it goes against my typically moderate stance on anything that gets posted on social media, but I’m doing it anyways. I, Karin Riemer, mother of a kindergarten student, think that Kindergarten Gradual Entry is the worst! Professionally, as an educator and an elementary [...]
