Lansing Christian School

Secondary Resources

October 28, 2009

Dear Parents,

Parent Teacher Conferences

I want to encourage you to attend our Fall Parent Teacher Conferences, offered on two days next week, Monday, November 2 from 2:00pm – 8:00pm, and Tuesday, November 3 from 5:00pm -8:00pm. School will NOT be in session for students on Monday. School WILL be in session on Tuesday.

Reasons for attending Parent Teacher Conferences:

To establish a positive working relationship with teachers that will be the foundation for your work together for the rest of the year.
To give teachers your parent insight, giving them a fuller picture of who your child is both in and outside the classroom.
To hear specific information about how your child is doing in each one of his/her classes.
To have an opportunity to ask questions about how your child interacts with other students at school.
To learn about what your child can do in the two weeks after conferences to be successful and achieve the best grade he/she possibly can.

Taking the time to connect with teachers communicates something very positive to your children, and conference time is one of the most effective tools that we have for partnering with parents in the education of your children – our students!

Additional Information about Parent-Teacher Conferences:

You do not need an appointment to see middle school or high school teachers. We ask parents to keep conferences with individual teachers to a ten minute maximum time limit.
High School teachers will be located in the commons, and middle school teachers will be in the secondary library.
Part time teachers – Mr. Quinn, Mrs. Provencal, and Mr. Watkins will be available for Monday conferences only.
8th Grade Parent Meeting at 7 :00pm in the Choir Room to discuss this year’s 8th grade Trip.

Homework Websites:
Our middle school and high school teachers all have homework websites that are up and running. Students can access these websites on the Secondary Page of the LCS website. If your child is sick and at home, this at-home access to school work can serve as a great tool to keep your student connected to the learning that is happening at school.

Seniors – Get those College Applications Done!

Transcript requests can be made through the high school office.
Please give our teachers one week to complete any recommendation forms, and include a self addressed stamped envelope for mailing.

Market Day Pie Sale: Information coming home with middle school students on Wednesday!
We are working to raise enough money to purchase lap tops for two of our middle school teachers. Our first hour middle school classes will be competing to sell the most pies. The winning class will earn a Pizza Party! Order forms are due on Monday, November 9

For Your Calendar: Rescheduled Events…

This Is My Father’s World: A Concert of Worship through Music is rescheduled for 6:00pm, Sunday, November 8, at River Terrace Church

Arrival times for performing groups:

Chorale: 4:00pm
Concert Choir: 4:30pm
HS Band: 5:15pm

Middle School Fall Spectacular: Thursday, November 12, 7:00pm

Grandparents Day: Friday, November 20, 12:45pm

Sincerely,

Wendy Hofman
Secondary Principal
Lansing Christian School
3405 Belle Chase Way
Lansing, MI 48911
phone: 517.882.5777 x303
fax: 517.272.9567

Connection, Relationships and Leadership

These are the operative words that describe some or this year’s initiatives in the area of Spiritual Life in our Middle School and High School

Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven. Matthew 5:16

Single Gender/Mixed Grade Homerooms:
Our high school homerooms are designed to help students cultivate a variety of relationships and provide an opportunity for students to grow in their leadership skills as they grow in their relationship with Christ. On Mondays and Tuesdays Janet Wielenga, our director of Spiritual Formation, writes devotions that develop ideas and themes from our weekly high school chapels/Merge, helping students to make connections and spiritual applications in their daily lives. The devotions are facilitated by homeroom teachers and provide opportunities for students to form small groups that are student led.

The PUSH
On Wednesdays all of our high school students gather in the gym for 10 minutes at the beginning of the day for a time of student led worship. During The PUSH student leaders volunteer to challenge, encourage, or simply put something in front of the student body that inspires kids to live as examples of Christ in their school life. On any given Wednesday morning you will see students praising God with music, engaging in scripture, listening to a student testimony or taking in a challenge from one of their fellow students.

Middle School Family Groups
Family groups are composed of 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. These groups provide students with an opportunity to build more relationships across the grades in middle school and give our students an opportunity to build leadership skills. Family groups were initiated at Retreat and will continue to be used in connection with Middle School Chapel/Club SSE. Family groups also engage in occasional teambuilding activities during Guided Study.

This year’s High School Retreat - by Janet Wielenga
High School Retreat was held once again at the beautiful Camp Geneva in Holland, Michigan. The seniors headed out early Wednesday morning to spend the day with Janet and Bob Wielenga, focusing on what it means to be a leader. The rest of the students arrived on Wednesday night in time for dinner. Filled with lots of activities like the 3 on 3 basketball tournament, class skits, bon fires, soccer, volleyball and a Bible study on the beach, this year’s Retreat gave students the chance to build relationships with each other as well as focus on their relationship with God.

LCS 2007 graduates Bryant Russ and Jon Wielenga were the speakers. A great story teller, Bryant shared the story of David and Goliath and challenged the students to examine their lives to discover if they’re living for themselves or for the One True God. Jon added the need to live together as believers, serving each other and putting God first, others second, and our selves last.

Five seniors shared testimonies of how God is working in their lives. Three students, ready to publicly announce their desire to follow Christ, were baptized in Lake Michigan by Pastor Bob Wielenga. Our times of worship together, led by seniors Jason Ballein, Sara Wielenga, and Caleb Coleman, were amazing as students sang their praises to the Lord.

Continue to pray for our students as they are back in the swing of life. Pray that in the midst of their busy schedules they will make time for the One True God and that they would continue to encourage and serve each other. Special thanks go out to all the teachers and parents who helped make the Retreat possible.

Parents of 7th and 8th grade students:
Northwestern University Midwest Academic Talent Search (NUMATS) is a program for high ability middle school students. Registering with this program and taking the SAT or ACT as a 7th or 8th grader allows the qualifying student to apply for special national, state, and local programs which occur mostly during the summer. Applications will be given to 7th and 8th grade families whose students achieved math or reading scores of 95% or above on the national achievement test taken at Lansing Christian School in 6th or 7th grade. If you are new to LCS or do receive an application and believe your child qualifies for the NUMATS, please contact our G/T Coordinator, Karen Keyser, at 272-9140 x 109. Another opportunity for 6th-8th grade students is Saturday School, offered by Lansing Community College. Courses being offered this fall run from October 24-November 21. The courses are entitled “Write to Win”, and “Crime Scene Investigation” (CSI). Applications are available in the G/T room (109), in the lower elementary wing.