Grand Rapids Christian Middle School Principal's Corner

I. Principal’s Corner — “Be Good Friends Who Love Deeply”

"Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle" (Romans 12: 9-10, The Message translation).

We are in week three of not only off-campus learning but of one of the most significant disruptions to both our personal and collective lives that any of us can remember or imagine.  It has thrown off our rhythms and caused us to have to re-organize our lives in many ways.  Home-life is different.  Work-life is different.  For many of us, those two worlds are now intertwined like never before.

This time is not easy.  It is stressful.  It is uncertain.  We acknowledge all of those things and pray daily for one another and our GRCS family: for peace, for grace, for wisdom, for perseverance, for God’s provision.  We trust that our God is sovereign and watching over His world.

In the midst of chaos and uncertainty, I hope that we are able to find peace in Christ and to appreciate small blessings.  Our GRCMS theme this year — "Dream Small: Do Small Things With Great Love" — is, I hope, an opportunity to focus on blessings that we otherwise take for granted.  Physical distancing is reminding us again about the importance of relationships and staying connected.  We see the importance of small acts of kindness done with or for family members or neighbors.

And while it is a bit crazy to be home with everyone all of the time, it is our hope and prayer that we are bonding again as families.  We are reminded that home is where we find comfort and security, and this is especially true for our kids.  They are looking to us for calm and consistency and safety.  The blessing of this time is that we get back to the basics of faith, family, and friendships.  

Thank you for your on-going partnership in the lives of your children as we partner in off-campus learning during this time of physical separation from one another.  We continue to pray for your health and safety and for God to continue to hold our families and communities together in this time apart.

II. iXplore Reimbursement

Any families who have already paid for iXplore classes will be fully refunded.  If checks were collected but not yet cashed, the checks have been destroyed and you should have received an e-mail confirmation of this from the school office or your child’s iXplore teacher.  If you have questions, first e-mail your child’s iXplore teacher.  You may also reach the school office at KElzinga@grcs.org or AMoes@grcs.org.