Click the above image to view the January 2022 Board Report.

Message from the Superintendent

Dear Board:

Welcome back from Christmas Break and Happy New Year to all. I trust your holiday season was enjoyable. Jacquie and I hosted our two kids, their spouses, and three Australian Shepherds for almost three weeks as our son and daughter-in-law traveled for their belated honeymoon for the two weeks following Christmas Day. Quite a houseful but wonderful in every way. Always tough to say goodbye and see the kids off to homes NOT in Grand Rapids…

This month’s board meeting will focus on the proposed 2022-2023 Operating Budget. Mike Meeuwsen, as Board Treasurer, and Jim Primus will walk us through the many assumptions and program details that led to its development, and you will have time for discussion and ask any questions you may have. The board will be asked to approve the proposed budget in anticipation of our preparing and mailing the Annual Meeting Notice, which is scheduled for Wednesday, February 23, 2022, to the GRCS Membership for its approval.

In addition to approving the proposed budget, the board will also be asked to approve three board nominees to fill board term 2022 — 2025. The nominees have been recommended by the Nomination Committee and reviewed and unanimously approved by the Executive Committee. Information on each of the nominees is included with the board packet you have received. Like the proposed budget, the GRCS Membership will be asked to approve the board nominees at the Annual Meeting as well. Tom

Tom

 

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District Theme: One Another

One Another // Los Unos A Los Otros

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. — JOHN 13:34-35

Este mandamiento nuevo les doy: que se amen los unos a los otros. Así como yo los he amado, también ustedes deben amarse los unos a los otros. De este modo todos sabrán que son mis discípulos, si se aman los unos a los otros. — JUAN 13:34-35

Campus Themes Stories

Brad Mockabee — GRCHS Principal

The Faith Formation branch of our student congress led our school through the season of Advent by preparing daily devotionals for teachers to share with students. We are so thankful for student leaders who brought us closer to the Lord during the season of Advent. You can read those devotionals at www.grcs.org/blog.

Sara Seth — GRCMS Principal

This past month, we had the opportunity to open our doors at the middle school to another local Christian school’s stakeholders as they began to plan with AMDG architects to reimagine their own educational spaces for students. AMDG helped us design our educational collaborative and support spaces before moving to the campus on Chesaning and Burton in 2015. Both Mr. Brent Dykstra and Mr. Peter Baldwin helped accompany the site tour to help explain some of the ideas behind the design. It was a blessing to share and talk with other Christian school leaders about how to design spaces to best serve students.

Ben Buursma — Rockford Christian Principal

Each week at Rockford Christian begins with “Family Time” or chapel first thing Monday morning and ends each Friday afternoon with “Community Time.” During Family Time, each class takes a turn leading the whole school in worship; second graders, for example, recently highlighted God’s command to “serve one another” by inviting the school to join them in collecting needed items for Kids Food Basket. Community Time, on the other hand, is set aside for building relationships within our school. Sometimes this looks like a team-building challenge within a homeroom; other times, it might be buddy classes working together in our Maker Space on a collaborative project. Both of these weekly experiences provide rhythm and depth to our work and draw the Rockford Christian community closer to God and to one another.

Graham Schultze — GRCES Evergreen Campus Principal

Evergreen’s playground takes a unique form in the snowy months of winter. In the eyes of the students, the piles of snow created by our plowing service become mountains, villages, forts, and factories. As we lean into both the joys and challenges of having children as young as kindergarten and as old as 5th grade out for recess at the same time, I’m so pleased to report that these cold recesses have been times of collaboration, creativity, and thoughtfulness. While it’s not completely void of elementary drama, the playground has been a clear venue to witness our theme in action these past weeks. 

John Barkel — GRCES Iroquois Campus Principal

Students, staff, and families on the Iroquois campus partnered with East Congregational Church in an annual food drive again this year. Fourth-grade students and their teachers greeted at the church and collected non-perishable food and hygiene products from those who donated. The church said their shelves were getting quite low and that the drive came at just the right time. Teachers were able to share how the food was used, and in giving to this food drive, students and their families would be helping others in need. A great experience for our kids who donated and who helped unload. Thank you to all who participated!

 

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