Recently at a meeting I chose to show a video entitled, “Flourishing.” The video keyed on staff to work towards flourishing. From a series called, “Wisdom For The Way” from Christian Schools Canada, these videos encourage Christian schools to engage their staff in devotions during this pandemic. It was engaging, relevant, and something that I thought [...]
BY GARY VERBEEK, MECHANICS AND BIBLE TEACHER Have I really been at ACS for 30 years and teaching for 35? Initially, I was hired to start a mechanics program but started out teaching woods class. Five years later, we tore down the two bay “garage” behind the school and Fricia Construction built the awesome mechanics [...]
We are enjoying having the grade 5 students at the middle school! They have been at our campus for almost two months now and feel right at home. Even though the COVID-19 restrictions allow limited interaction with the grade 5 students and teachers, we are so glad they are here! So, we want to share [...]
BY KIRSI ANTUNES, SCHOOL COUNSELLOR The beginning of the new school year started with excitement and trepidation. I am excited about beginning my position as the new school counsellor at ACS, something I had not imagined happening even though I had been a parent in the community for five years. Many unexpected turns in the [...]
BY BRIAN KONING, DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT What a year it's been, “covidly” speaking. We’ll never look at the expression, “Hindsight is 20/20” the same way again. We experienced a shut-down of our society requiring us to re-think how we communicate, teach, worship, and gather together. That re-thinking process continues to re-shape how we approach teaching [...]
I have a new energy and a new motivation this school year. Seeing staff every day and having students back in the building reminds me why we do what we do. We engage minds, nurture hearts, and shape God’s world. We do this by educating through relationship. The best way to foster these relationships, and [...]
Ask any student who’s been on the SALTS grade 8 sailing trip, they’ll talk for hours about their five days aboard a tall ship in the Salish sea; hauling the sails, taking the wheel, and singing their hearts out at the evening “mug up.” Some of them might also tell you about seasickness. That Queasy [...]
This summer, while camping, our three-year-old learned how to ride his bike without training wheels (yes, prepare yourself for many “proud mama bear” blog posts from this principal). Earlier in the summer, he was hesitant to try, enjoying the ease and speed with which he cruised the side streets of East Abbotsford on his orange [...]
Back in the spring when the pandemic first hit, Heidi bought a paint by numbers kit for our daughter, Sofia. And Sofia has been plugging away at it little by little over the last few months. When our family gathered for Sunday morning worship (around a screen, of course!), she pulled out the painting and [...]
My final blog of the year, and the end of my first year as principal…what do I want to share? One simple word. Thanks! Everyone I talk to seem to pity me to some degree: “Wow! This is an intense first year!” “I bet you didn’t anticipate being a principal during COVID-19!” “How are you [...]
