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I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.
Genesis 9:13-16
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Dear Families,
Merry Christmas!
What a great start to the school year! We can collectively and wholeheartedly say, “We are all so grateful for WVCS”. To be more specific, we want to recognize our most valuable asset, our staff! We are so grateful for our amazing teachers, teacher aides, enrichment teachers (STEM, art, music, theatre arts, Spanish, dance, PE), the office staff and the facilities staff. Thank you, thank you staff for all of your efforts pouring into the hearts and minds of our children at WVCS. We appreciate our staff for continually showcasing our students’ achievements in our newsletters and award ceremonies. It’s always encouraging to open the WVCS Constant Contact newsletter and see the videos and pictures with explanations of student life on campus. If you look carefully in the newsletters, you have probably noticed our efforts to feature a balanced and dynamic education where students learn how to think critically, utilize technology, experience hands-on learning with STEM, care for their bodies, serve their community, be creative, and grow their knowledge of who God is and what He has done for us. Our school office is full of joy, daily serving you, your precious children and our amazing staff. On behalf of our amazing staff, we would like to say, that it truly is our privilege to serve you and your family at WVCS. We trust that these thoughts will only add to your reasons to celebrate Christmas.
Today, we want to share with you how you can help contribute to our future educational programs, but at the same time, we want to acknowledge how parents have recently supported our school. Here are a few recent highlights: this week we received several donations totaling $6,000.00 for year-end tax donations; earlier this year, an anonymous donor gave each faculty $100 gift cards; our core teachers received $500.00 to purchase supplementary curriculum material; a couple of times a month, some delicious home-baked goods are delivered to staff; a non-WVCS person called our school office asking to pay for one of our family's entire tuition; we received a donation of 100 pieces of classroom furniture for our Middle School classrooms; several parents helped create stage pieces, make costumes and provide tech support for the Charlie Brown Christmas production; last week, a family collected $600.00 in donations from guests driving by their home’s Christmas decorations that will be used for a Mad-Science guest speaker.
Along with all these donations and kind acts, our school's near capacity enrollment has given us the ability to add new, gifted and passionate faculty members including our STEM teachers, Individual Academic Support Specialists, Critical Thinking Expert, and new PE teachers. All of these recent staffing additions to our school have greatly elevated our overall school morale and enhanced our students’ educational experience. In addition to adding staff, we have started to add technology in the classrooms, paint exterior buildings on campus and add more outdoor play equipment such as ping pong tables, foosball, Carpet Ball, and the soon arrival of a Gaga Pit.
Our school’s largest donor is the Fritz B. Burns Foundation who has allowed us to renovate our Science Lab, add bleachers to our gym, supply Maker Space with STEM equipment, and renovate our sports field. The Fritz B. Burns Foundation has also provided us the ability to purchase Promethean Boards, laptops, iMacs, iPads, MacBook Pros for the Middle School students. In the spring, for all grade levels, we will begin to utilize Benchmark Testing software which will significantly improve our ability to analyze our students' progress and skill gaps in Math and Language Arts. In addition to targeting our educational programs, we have made plans to upgrade the following campus facility projects: extending the Middle School patio area for more seating, game equipment and outdoor learning centers; leveling the grass sports field; adding an outdoor shade structure to seating areas around the field; replace floors in TK-8th grade classrooms; update the library with new furnishings; and renovate the teacher's lounge, school office and cafeteria. In the new year, we will begin to renovate our preschool facility by adding a new gate to the entrance, replacing the fence around the playground, replacing floors and windows, adding interior lighting and natural light to the auditorium, adding soft rubber tiles to the outdoor play-surface and add a new location inside the auditorium with classroom space designated for discovery-play, hands-on-learning, and technology. We are so excited that much of these improvements are already in the development phase and that many of these projects will be completed within the next few months, but we will need to complete some of these projects during Easter vacation and the summer months so that we do not disrupt the classroom learning.
If you see a specific project or program that you would like to enhance or have completed immediately, please don’t hesitate to contact me with your insights or donation. Again, to be assured that your child will immediately be impacted by your gift donation, here are ways to directly give to your child’s class: TK, Kindergarten, and 1st grade classes are asking for Promethean Boards to replace the Epson Projectors. They are also asking for an additional set of tablets for a learning center in each classroom. Second grade through 8th grade parents can donate towards tablets for technology centers in each classroom. In addition to technology in the classrooms, we will be adding a new school security system with a new intercom system, new interior iron-fencing, interior gate entry doors and surveillance cameras.
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HOW TO GIVE WITH TAX DONATION: (WVCS TAX ID # IS 95-2998828)
If you would like to make a monetary contribution to West Valley Christian School's educational programs or facility upgrades before January 1st 2022, you can donate via Venmo (@wvcs-admin) or submit a check to the school office. Please write in the description which class you would like to designate the funds to. “TK-1st grade technology” has a $15k goal, and “2nd-8th grade technology” has a $10k goal, and all of the class funds received will be put towards technology advancement. If you would like to contribute to bettering our school security system including gate, cameras and intercom system, which is a $100k goal, you can put in the description "security system". If you would like to contribute to our STEM program, which has a $5k goal, you can put in the description "STEM". You are welcome to specify where you would like to have the funds applied. Venmo only accepts contributions of up to $2k, so if you would like to contribute more, please write a check and drop it off at the school office. All donations from parents toward “technology” in the classroom, school “security system” and “STEM” will be utilized within 30 days of receipt so you can be assured that you child will immediately benefit from your donation. SUMMARY: Please consider how you can contribute towards $500,000.00 in educational programs and facility renovations (technology, security systems, STEM, Preschool facility, Middle School patio, sports field, outdoor shade structures, flooring, exterior painting, school office, cafeteria and preschool roof).
Since our classrooms are near capacity in enrollment, evidence that our school is thriving like never before, be sure to look for an email in January to reserve your enrolment for 2022/2023 school year. We want to hold spot for you before we open-enrollment to new families in February. While other small private schools around the country were shutting down due to the pandemic, our school has only grown stronger amidst it all with the addition of wonderful new families, staff members, and blessings beyond what we could have ever imagined. Praise the Lord. We are thrilled about the new improvements we are currently working on and are eagerly looking forward to the future projects we will begin upon receiving more donations. A donation of any amount helps, and we thank you for your generosity.
In closing, let’s remember the reason for the season! At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus, and share the good news that Jesus shed His blood on the cross to pay for our sins. In the first book of the New Testament, Matthew 1, Jesus' name Immanuel literally means "God with us". That said, we can experience the greatest Christmas gifts of God's peace and love. Luke 2 says that Jesus was born to be our Savior. Let's celebrate Christmas with our family and friends celebrating together in God’s love, joy and peace. We wish everyone a wonderful Christmas, and Happy New Year.
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Friendly Reminders:
Sweatshirts: Please be sure students are wearing their school sweatshirts. Check the lost and found for misplaced sweaters, sweatshirts, and jackets. All items left in the lost and found will be donated during Christmas break.
Christmas Break: December 20th-January 3rd. Students return to school Tuesday, January 4th.
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Heritage Project
2nd Grade with Mrs. Chavez
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The 2nd graders have been learning about the past and their family heritage. Each one of us have ancestors from other countries. Students chose one country of their cultural background to research. Students interviewed a parent and a grandparent to compare how their life growing up is different from the life of their parent and grandparent's life. One student was in shock that his grandparent did not have a television. Students learned about their family tree and traditions in their family. Also, to show how different cultures dress, students created an ancestor paper doll wearing the traditional clothing from their country. To help us learn to appreciate other cultures, we ended our unit with a Heritage Luncheon. Families sent in delicious food from their country to share. We feasted on food from many different cultures. It was amazing! |
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Atomic Ornaments
6th and 7th Grade Science
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Ms. Beck's 6th and 7th graders celebrated Beethoven's birthday by watching A Charlie Brown Christmas and making atomic ornaments! |
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Christ is Born Oil Pastels
Art with Mrs. Kim
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Students were reminded of the precious gift God has given and the reason for the season. They blended blues in the backgrounds and used black to create silhouettes of the manger scene. Merry Christmas from the Visual Arts Class! |
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Wonka Jr. Auditions
Monday January 10th and Wednesday January 12th
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Piano Lessons
Atsuyo Jeen teaches piano at WVCS. She offers lessons after school to every age group. She is an incredibly gifted teacher and the students simply adore her! For more information about piano lessons, email Atsuyo at jeenatsuyo@gmail.com.
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STEM with Mrs. Fiske
This week in STEM class...
We ended the semester in true holiday fashion with a variety of Christmas and winter themed STEM projects. In TK, students were read The Gingerbread Boy story and then created their own gingerbread boys and gingerbread girls to send down a class zip line. In grades 2, 3, and 4, students constructed parachutes for Santa and had the goal to land him upright on the targets provided. Fifth Graders learned about Sequoia redwood trees and the tallest tree called Hyperion. They compared the architecture of some of the tallest buildings to the tallest trees. Then they had a fun challenge to create their own tallest structure using only cups. In Middle School, students engineered a ski chair and skier or snowboarder to ride on our class ski lift.
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This Week's Chapel Highlights: |
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Gladys Canby Announces this Month's Shine Awards:
Co-Host Cassie Flagg
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Sophia Boultinghouse, 3rd Grade |
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Marcus Holmes, Kindergarten |
Joanna Hernandez, 4th Grade |
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'Bee-attitude' of the Month: Diligence
"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." -Philippians 4:13
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Brisa Khang, Kindergarten |
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CJSF Visits Assisted Living Home
We Wish You a Merry Christmas!
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Our CJSF chapter delivered 50 Christmas goodie bags to the residents at the Commons, an assisted living facility near the school. They sang "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and then got to meet and interact with the residents as they gave out the gifts. Everyone was smiling the entire time. We have been invited back and hope to spend a longer time with them next semester. |
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Chase Stewart, 4th Grade
Athlete of the Week
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Coach Kvinsland says that, "Chase is an amazing athlete, but would like to acknowledge his sportsmanship. He plays fair and is aware of his classmates so that he can include them and be mindful of everyone’s ability. Chase always has great questions and is a pleasure to have in PE class." Keep it up, Chase! |
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After School Programs: Contact Raquel Kropacek to sign up for the 2nd round of after school programs. Last week was the last week of Worship Team. Intramural Sports and Lego Club are offered at no additional charge to our standard daycare rate of $6/hr.
If you would like to sign your child up for the 2nd round of Academic Chess or Hula Dancing, the cost for each of these programs is $40 for the full 8 weeks. Payments can be made in the school office, cash or check only please.
Homework Club takes place Monday-Thursday from 3:30-4:30 and is $350 for the full 6 week program.
The Dance Conservatory is offering Dance to TK-6th grade after school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays! This program is being offered by Samantha Melo, a fellow Falcon parent, owner of The Dance Conservatory of Los Angeles! Click the button below for more information!
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Raquel Kropacek:
rkropacek@westvalleychristianschool.com
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Join the Falcon Family!
Preschool Teacher Position - Full Time and Part Time Opportunities Available
Email Karleen Kroeker, Preschool Director, for more information:
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Have a Great Weekend Falcons! |
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