To all my teacher friends who are moving their classes online. Here, in no particular order, are some of my top tips for online teaching (these will mostly apply to high school teachers, but may also have some use for grade school.) First, take a deep breath. This is going to be different and sometimes …
In a time of unknown for so many people, I know the shutdowns and cancellations have affected every single person in America. I understand the necessity behind these shutdowns and the fact that everyone is doing the best they can to keep our country and community safe. I KNOW this is a scary virus, and …
Our Spanish Immersion Program (SI) journey began with a post card inviting us to an informational meeting about Evergreen Christian School’s new Spanish Immersion program. The idea intrigued us since there are significant benefits both academically and career-wise to being bilingual—as well as just having a larger more understanding view of the world. However, even …
Sally Cook has been a kindergarten teacher at LC for 37 years! In this blog she shares hers passion for teaching at LC – you don’t want to miss this! There is an elementary school open house on Feb. 11, 2020 at 7:00 pm – please share so all your friends know they are invited! …
The Lynden Christian Project Shop class recently had the opportunity to get forklift certified. Mike Apol, who works at Andgar Corporation, is an LC graduate and LC parent, who provided the training for the students. The students received training in forklift safety and usage. Fourteen students were able to receive their certifications. The Lynden Christian …
Greetings! My name is Matthew Gudakov and I am the director of orchestras at Lynden Christian Schools. This year marks my first as a music teacher and I couldn’t have found a better place to work than here at LC. I feel so blessed to work in an environment where the name of Jesus is …
“Oh Lord, It is said you created people because you love stories. Be with me as I live out my story” (Ted Loder) This prayer was shared by Dr. Bootsma at new staff orientation and resonated with me. After spending the last 10 years starting a family, a church and a business, my story has …
Hi my name is Dylan Kaemingk. Football has always been a part of my life and I started playing when I was 12, When I was in 6th grade, when I joined LC I played football and I was on our high school team for 4 years. My junior and senior year I was fortunate …
It’s about love. At Lynden Christian, the focus of our Kindergarten is love. Will your Kindergartener learn to read and write better? Definitely. Will your Kindergartener learn basic mathematical skills? Certainly. Will your Kindergartener learn through play and social experiences? Of course. But your Kindergartener will also learn about and experience love. Our deep hope …
I and my family have been associated with Lynden Christian Schools for the past 75 years both as a student and teacher and I can truly say it has shaped my life. Often, I am asked whether I would have done something different rather than be a teacher at Lynden Christian and I emphatically say, …
Hello! My name is Kristin Dick and I am a senior graduating from Lynden Christian High School on June 6 of this year! I have attended LC now for fourteen years and have practically grown up in this school. This school is where I spend most of my time, and I have grown to see …
Throughout the year, we’ve dove into many different themes and ideas relating to our beliefs and lives. A underlying theme can be found in all the ideas we talked about this semester, this theme is called a throughline. A throughline is essentially a life theme. It is an idea that can be found in every …
For my throughline that fits me best, I would say a justice-seeker, which is “acting as agents of change by identifying and responding to injustices.” Someone could live this out if they maintain being a Good Samaritan; it can be an act as simple as breaking up a bully if he’s picking on someone, but …
The through line that I would say is most me, would be Servant-Worker. This is working to fix brokenness and bring joy. I am the person who wants to fix the things that are wrong so that joy can return to situation. An example of this would be like finding the middle ground in a …
A through line is like “velcro” that connects things like facts, skills, and experiences and organizes them so they work together within a certain area. They help answer the question “How then shall I live?” The throughline that I think best defines me is beauty – creating. People with this throughline celebrate God as the …
The throughline that I connect with is Idolatry Discerner because I understand that when we prioritize the things of things of this world over God we lose valuable time that can shape us. My challenge will be identifying, understanding, and recognising these idols while learning to respond “prophetically.” I know it is easy for everyday …
To me, a throughline is in a way, a connecting theme between you and the way you live your life through God. I think that I most relate with the throughline of enjoying creation. The through line creation is “celebrating God’s beautiful creation,” and I connect with that one the most because you can always …
As part of our commitment to Teaching for Transformation, the LC Elementary School practices service through CREW (Caring, Responsible, Effort, Worship) Projects. Here are some reflections of their experience: I have learned that serving is a really powerful thing and serving can help people in the hospital . . . the sick, the homeless, and …
My name is TJ Van Weerdhuizen. I believe my Mom may have warned you that this email was coming. The island where I teach just went through one of the strongest recorded storms to hit U.S. soil in 2018 and there is little to no media coverage about it because most people haven’t even heard …
Each year our AP classes read Timothy Keller’s book Making Sense of God. They are asked to write a letter to a religiously skeptical person in response to Keller’s ideas. Here are some of those letters: International Student: Dear Skeptic, I am writing this letter to show some disagreements with your doubts and distrust about …
There was a time When Joy was The memory of her Yearns For what was lost Sending despair To invade instead The heart, a prison Of grief, regret, pain Searching for what was Fear undermines-She’ll be lost forever Sometimes I open my eyes To see her flirt carelessly across A moment I reach out for …
I have learned a lot from God in the past couple of years. After going through an experience that shook my faith to the core, I realized just how weak it was. My faith was never made my own, it was the faith my parents had instilled in my because that’s how I was raised. …
Rational – Purpose As senior leaders, it’s our job to shape school culture. Even though we have systems in place to support our students spiritually and academically, we believe some students may fall through the cracks, which should never happen at our school. Therefore, we propose a project that will engage our UW Class in …
What is a Blessing? Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary defines the word ‘Blessing’ as, “The act or words of one that blesses.” as well as, “A thing conductive to happiness or welfare.” Personally, I think the dictionary could have worked a little harder on their definition, but maybe that’s just me (I mean really, who uses the …
“Why Chapel?” This was the question I asked various groups at LCHS when I stepped into the role of Chapel Coordinator. The answers varied, but there were a couple of themes that many had in common. One was a desire for a sense of “community” at LCHS. There are very few times where the whole …
I was 10 years old when I discovered I was dumb. .A teacher pulled me asidel She didn’t deliver it in a way that was mean or hurtful, but her words have stuck with me for the rest of my life. “I just can’t teach you in class, so I am sending you to someone …
Read More “Watch Your Words (A Redemption Story) – Graduate”
Dawn, Greetings. Hopefully, you are having a good year. I wanted to commend you on your recent assignment related to the bookTo Kill A Mockingbird. Four of your sophomores helped us (Project Hope) out distributing gifts for the Angels of Hope program during Christmas break, and then they returned to ask me questions related to …
So you are a skeptic? I understand you have doubts and you are confused, it is human nature to have questions. You have doubts about the necessity of religion and the existence of God all together. Let me tell you something, you are missing out on something good. Religion holds the explanation to many of …
Done in Senior Honors English in response to issues raised in Timothy Keller’s Making Sense of God. Don’t you ever feel like there’s a greater purpose to our existence? That we’re not just here going through the motions until we die? The problem is that many people think this way, and live out meaningless lives …
* Done in Senior Honors English in response to issues raised in Timothy Keller’s Making Sense of God. Have you ever had an awakening experience that has been borderline religious? Have you ever seen a painting or heard a song and it took your breath away and made you feel like there’s something more? Well, …
* This assignment was done for our Senior Honors English Class, to address the issues in Timothy Keller’s book Making Sense of God. You and I are not as different as you may think. We both feel strong emotions, we spend our time living in community, we have morals and values, and in the end …
* This assignment was done in connection with our Senior Honors English Class who were asked to write a letter addressing the issues in Timothy Keller’s book Making Sense of God Being part of the human journey is oftentimes tiresome and relatively depressing. The most difficult part is trying to find a purpose in the …
In the spirit of Teaching for Transformation, Lynden Christian launched its first Global Education Outreach this June, as 12 Lynden Christian staff, students, and alumni travelled to Tema, Ghana to work with four schools, spending time in their classrooms and offering a one day professional teaching conference. Working with both public and private schools, the …
In our third year of inclusive education at Lynden Christian Schools (Lynden, WA), we are experiencing transformed hearts and minds as we create communities of belonging for students with varied abilities. Our partnership with CLC Network has been paramount in helping our community understand inclusion and invite diversity into the classroom. This year, we started …
This morning I sat in Mrs. Sarah Kok’s kindergarten classroom and I watched a little 5 year old boy on his first day of school at Lynden Christian. He is one of many new students that we have at LC this year. He was anxious, he was happy, he brought joy and wonder to his …
I exit the sweltering passenger van next to a pungent garbage heap, surveying the shanty town before me. An open sewer runs down from the half-built houses to my right, disappearing around a corner to someplace I can’t quite tell –I’m in “New Town”, I’m told. As I enter a narrow passageway, the cement walls …
In regards to the photo of Miss Sipma praying with the little girl, and the quote “Christ is the focal point in all subjects,” I would say that is definitely true. Although there may be classes that aren’t focused around God or it isn’t a Bible class, many teachers are willing to listen and take …
How does one teach Christianity? When teaching young kids how to understand Islam, routine is taught: five times daily prayer kneeling and facing the Ka’ba, reading of scripture, fasting in the month of Ramadan, and reciting of shahadah—the belief and understanding that “there is no god but Allah”. Children easily understand the method. If they …
As I finish up my many years at LC, I realize how much I’ve been shaped to be real and true to who I really am through friends, teachers, and my own experiences. I look at high school and my time at LC like a hurdle race. Lynden Christian has showed me throughout my 12 …
Throughout my entire education at Lynden Christian, Pre-K to Senior year, I have been supported by staff who teach with the motivation of mentoring students into “caring Christians.” In elementary school, we sang along to Mrs. Dean’s songs and learned the motions, which we stored away in memory and bring out occasionally with fond memories. …
As a little girl, I spent many hours in the car with my family. We traveled to see my grandma and other relatives that live 4 hours away, along the Oregon coastline, or anywhere with an exciting point of interest. I quickly developed a love for these road trips, especially the times we’d jump in …
When I was little, I remember when construction began on the house we were building. My mom carried me around the property to show me the cement foundation amidst the mud, telling me the plans her and my dad had dreamed for the house that would go on top. At the time, I was not …
Our lives can be compared to a soccer season. Every season has its practices, it’s wins, and it’s losses. These key components can be compared to those in our lives and can help us understand our lives and what God has in store for us. Soccer practices prepare us for our big games and they …
I had the pleasure of being apart of the drama department the last three years of high school! Being both on stage and backstage has taught me so much about theater and the joy that comes with using my God-given talents to bless others. This year, in particular, was special as I got to participate …
Throughout high school I have had many chances to grow as a leader– not through ASB or student council like many kids, or even through athletics. My opportunities came through FFA. I have been a member of FFA through high school, where I was given the chance to be mentored by students with similar interest. …
The FFA jacket is a nationally recognized symbol, announcing “farm kid” to anyone who sees it; but also showing the idea of hard work. The FFA creed states, “I believe in my own ability to work efficiently and think clearly, with such knowledge and skill as I can secure,”encouraging high school students to develop life …
One thing I have learned to do really well in high school is drink coffee! I look forward to times when I can treat myself to a special coffee at Woods, meet with friends for a meeting over coffee, or make an iced coffee at home. My favorite drink has become an Iced Upside Down …
Read More “Life is Like a Cup of Coffee – Senior Presentation”
The Marfo Orphanage is an orphanage in Ghana, Africa run by single mother, Adwoa. Adwoa grew up Ghana in a large family. She went to school and became a caterer and met her husband, Yaw. Yaw and Adwoa had three children and eventually the family moved to the United States. After over ten years, Adwoa …
First off, the type of plot I would consider my storyline is the Overcoming the Monster because the beauty of life is that it has its downs, but there is always promised a Up at the end of the story. My story was at an all time low for a while, and then, abruptly, things …
The plot that that would best describe me is the Overcoming the Monster plot. I feel this plot describes me best because it represents how much I bounce back from peaceful places in life to trials and hardships. Just as the plot shows, my life can have a roller coaster of stages and emotions. The …