The weather we’ve had in the last few weeks is certainly unusual for us here in the lush Fraser Valley. It is fairly common, but not certain, to get at least one snow event in December or January, but to have snow for six or more weeks is nothing like I have experienced in my [...]
At the Christian Teachers Association of British Columbia (CTABC) convention in October, (the one where students get two days off before Thanksgiving and the teachers all go to school), CTABC made an exciting announcement. They were changing their name to Christian Educators of British Columbia (CEBC), which better represented the many people who work to educate each [...]
I can’t remember exactly when I first met Mike Ouwerkerk. I know it was early on in my time here at ACS, 22 years ago. Mike initiated our Grandparent Crossing Patrol. Back then, there were no houses around our school property and looking out the front of the school you mostly saw a large, sandy [...]
One lovely day, I stood in the hall outside of the bathroom, trying to keep my students quiet. As we waited for everybody to finish, one of my students made a really keen observation. As he stood against the wall, he saw a student from an older class walk past him. He remarked, “That [...]
When it was time to buy a new car a couple of years ago, I said to Jane that whatever we get it won't be silver or gray. She added white and black to the list. I am sure it is obvious to most of you that silver or gray do seem to be the [...]
At the beginning of the school year, I introduce a KM club to my class. The KM club is always done during class time, as a class. Essentially, as a class, we each run a KM (kilometer) and keep track of how many KM's we have done all together. We track our KM's on a [...]
It was Monday morning. Our Nicaraguan guests had departed on Saturday, and Sunday had been busy with Run for Water. I was getting ready for school and found myself looking for the light under the bathroom door, listening for movement from the guest bedrooms, and wondering if it was time to put the coffee on. It’s [...]
I am not an artist, but I like to create. What I wear each day is like my way of being creative. I like to pull items together and build new outfits that I may have never worn in the past. I would like to think that I look decent each day, but what you [...]
It was my first year teaching. Fresh out of Dordt College, transplanted to sunny California. I had this wonderfully diverse and eager-to-learn first grade class. After the first few weeks of “what am I doing here?!” I was finding my rhythm as a primary teacher. I was connecting with the students, explaining things at their [...]
I settle into my chair, a fresh cup of coffee on the arm, my laptop actually on my lap and I begin reading. It’s the Monday morning when report cards are due and each one has to be read by an administrator, so I stay home so I can read without distractions or the inevitable [...]
