Fourteen moves in 14 years. From hoarders’ homes from the 1950s to bears in our yard daily, we have lived in some interesting places. We have completed some challenging renos and cleared out some interesting items. So why have we moved so many times? With my husband in land development, we decided to take on [...]
“What would you do during a two-and-a-half-hour block that combined both math and drama classes?” How would you answer this question? Honestly, I don’t remember how I answered, when it was asked during my ACS interview many moons ago. But I was offered the job, so I must have done okay and began my teaching [...]
It was an ordinary Friday morning, or so I thought, and I was getting started on the day when I heard sounds drifting up the stairs and into my office. New in my role as Director of Learning Support Services, I was still learning the rhythm of elementary school life. It took me a few [...]
It happened. Our youngest child, Sofia, just began her first year of university in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Heidi went with her last week to settle in and go through the usual orientation for first year students and parents. It’s an emotional time for us. Obviously, there are mixed feelings: we are sad that she is [...]
When I was growing up, I remember some of my greatest fears involved conflict. Conflict between loved ones, conflict between members of larger communities, conflict at a more regional, national, or global level, or as was mostly the case—conflict in my own life, big or small. When I was young there were global conflicts such [...]
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 [...]
Do you remember Kid President? It was a small collection of YouTube videos hosted by a young boy on a mission to help kids and grown-ups change the world together. This collection became one of the most watched videos on the planet about 8 years ago. Brad Montague was the brainchild behind these videos as [...]
At a recent Leadership Team meeting, middle school principal, Tym Berger, (who is now the resident historian on the Leadership Team) shared a really challenging time in the life of ACS’ history. He shared a moment from the ACS’ 50th anniversary book entitled; “New Growth from the Ashes” written by Jack Van Dyke. Jack was [...]
Recently I underwent day surgery and spent a week recovering at home. Given the nature of my recovery I knew I had to be very intentional about taking time away from work so that I could physically recover and be ready to go the following week. I prepped the staff, set up an email autoreply, [...]
I dug up some old digital photos one Sunday morning this summer. We actually had all our kids together gathered around the TV for a worship service and afterwards I played these old photos as a post-service montage. We reminisced and relived the moments of when the kids were very young. We noticed that many [...]
