Credo Christian Elementary School

21919 52 Ave. Langley BC V2Y 2M7

Phone: 604-530-1131 Fax:604 530-4268

e-mail cces@telus.net

website: www.credoces.org

Board of Directors

Paul Sikma (2022) Chairman

Keith Broersma (2022) Secretary

Ian Moes (2021) Treasurer

Lisa VanDyke Membership/CCHS

Roger Aikema (2021) Fundraising/Finance

Deanna VanDyke (2020) Education/PR

Richard Welfing (2021) CCSTA

Brad VanOene (2022) Maintenance/IT

Education Committee

Deanna VanDyke Pearl Hoff

Yvonne Jacobi Jacoba Leyenhorst

Brad VanOene Kelly VanSeters

Otto Bouwman Jennifer Onderwater

Membership Committee

Lisa VanDyke Mandy Dewit

Ryan Sikma Rob VanDelft

Katie Vandergaag

Finance Committee

Ian Moes Roger Aikema

Elma Kuntz

Maintenance Committee

Brad VanOene Rob Bisschop

Darryl Hofsink Ivan Scheper

Dave Vandeburgt James Vandeburgt

Staff

Otto Bouwman Principal

Jennifer Onderwater VP, Grade 1 & 2

Leslie Scholtens Kindergarten

Mary MacDougal Grade 1 & 2

Heather Dykstra Grade 1 & 2

Stephen Chase Grade 3

Debora Minderhoud Grade 2 & 3

Nadine Krikke Grade 4

Jerry Scholtens Grade 5

Linda VanSpronsen Grade 5

David Wu Grade 6

Diana Nobel Grade 7

Deborah Huttema SpEd, LA

Yvonne Jacobi Music 4,5

Mekayla Knol Music 6,7

Lisa Devries Educational Ass’t

Kim Groen Educational Ass’t

Yolanda Hoogstra Educational Ass’t

Katelyn Mostert Educational Ass’t

Wilma Santema Educational Ass’t

Evelynn Scheper Educational Ass’t

Jacqueline Spoor Educational Ass’t

Lisa Vanderven Educational Ass’t

Joy VanVliet Educational Ass’t

Alice Wu Educational Ass’t

Jackie VanOene Librarian

Elma Kuntz Bookkeeper

Kendra Vandergaag Office Administrator

Credo Aid

Pearl Hoff Leona Huttema

Tanya Scholtens Allison Vandeburgt

Audrey Leyenhorst Marcia Wildeboer

Fee Structure 2019-2020

Membership 125.00 Kindergarten 320.00

Elem. (1-3) 530.00 Elem (4-7) 550.00

Junior High 695.00 Senior High 745.00

Grade 2 - Remembrance Day Artwork

Grade 5 - ‘Tape’stry Art

Grade 4 - W arm/Cool Artwork

BRANCHES

In This Issue:

• From the Chairman

• From the Principal

• Minutes of AGM

• Board Secretary’s Annual Report

• Short Reports of Board Meetings

• Credo Aid Update

• Calendar Update

• Short Stories from Grade 3

Volume 32

Issue 3

Dec 1, 2019

The purpose of our parental Christian School is to educate our children to develop their individual potential and toacquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for a life of responsible stewardship in God's Kingdom.

Branches

From the Chairman...

Paul Sikma

As we enter the Christmas season we can rejoicein the celebration of the birth of our Lord and SaviorJesus Christ. This is a great opportunity to reflecton the knowledge that we do not belong toourselves, but we belong body and soul to our God. We can be thankful that God continues to blessour Christian school with students, a dedicatedstaff and a group of volunteers that work togetherto teach our children how to be good stewards inhis kingdom.

Board TransitionI feel privileged to be able to serve our communityalong with our newly appointed members. LisaVandyke, Brad VanOene, Keith Broersma and Ihave all felt welcome in our first month and aregrateful for the good start. It is nice to see how theboard strives to have a smooth transition. Retiringboard members met with their replacements forsub-committees and an orientation eveninghappened in order to bring new board members upto speed on board activities. This year there is asignificant number of board members transitioning,but I feel confident that with the team we have inplace we can maintain and continue to improve theway that we provide leadership at our school. It

has been several years since I served on theschool board and I can attest to the ongoingcommitment to excellence with regards to how wenot only teach at Credo Elementary but also onhow we govern.

We also say thank you to our outgoing boardmembers, Ron Scheper, Will Vanoene, TimBontkes and Erica Feunekes. You have all leftyour mark on the board and we as a schoolcommunity are better because of all your hard workand dedication.

Seeing as this is my first write up and we've onlyhad one change over meeting there is not asignificant amount for me to report on currently. For now, I reiterate how grateful I am for thiswonderful school we have and the opportunity tohelp govern along with the other board members. It is truly a blessing to serve God by providing areformed Christian education, done by a verycapable staff, that, from my experience over theyears, truly cares about educating our children inthe fear of his name. Praise be to God.

The Credo Christian Elementary School Board invites applications to fill teaching positions,beginning in September, 2020. Our school, located in the beautiful Fraser Valley, has a stable, vibrant,and inclusive environment with approximately 220 students. Staff members enjoy the positive andcollaborative teaching and learning culture here, and are grateful for strong levels of communitysupport.The successful applicant will:• be committed to teaching in a Canadian Reformed context • be a communicant member of a Canadian Reformed, United Reformed, or sister church• have or be able to obtain BC certification

For inquiries about this opportunity, or to apply, please connect as soon as possible with our principal:Otto Bouwman

Ph. 604.530.1131 (school) or 360.510.1524 (cell)E-mail: o.bouwman@credoces.org

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December 1, 2019

From the Principal.... Otto Bouwman

As the first term of the 2019 / 2020 school yearrushes to a close, school life continues its hecticpace. Though every day and every week wesomehow are again confronted with brokenness inthis troubled world, as we reflect back we can bethankful for God's sustaining hand. Hymn 78articulates it this way: "How oft in grief has he notbrought you relief, spreading his wings to o'ershadeyou!" May the reality of God's guiding and providinghand in each of our lives be the predominantsentiment that shapes our thoughts as we reflectback on the last month or two.

At a recent meeting of the school board, a warmwelcome could be extended to Keith Broersma,Paul Sikma, Lisa VanDyke, and Brad VanOene, thenewly elected directors. In my last column Iexpressed gratitude for the work done by theoutgoing directors; I look forward to working withthe new board as we move forward together infaith. May our Father in heaven give each what isneeded.

Reporting Inside the School A plethora of teachers, educational assistants, andvolunteers continue to come cheerfully through theschool doors every day to greet and work with thehappy children who also return day after day. Theother day one of my colleagues shared: "Thanks toall of you for making Credo such a great workplace!" Judging by the many happy faces on theplaygrounds, hallways and classrooms, I believethis colleague is speaking not just for the adults,but also the children, at this school. What ablessing!

This past Friday we officially ended the first term ofthe school year. As teachers are busy filling in thereport cards, we end up having numerousdiscussions about assessment and reporting. Ourcurrent reporting protocol has two maincomponents. First of all, a report card is generatedby MyEdBC. MyEdBC is the portal via which we,along with the vast majority of other schools in theprovince, submit information daily to the Ministry ofEducation. The reports which are generatedcommunicate information regarding attendanceand academic progress of each student. A longtime ago we moved away from percentage gradesor letter grades on primary reports; instead we now

state whether or not a child in these grades is "notyet meeting," "approaching," "meeting," or"exceeding" grade level expectations in eachcourse. On that report, teachers have opportunityto write a few details about how a student has beendoing in each subject. For your information, we tryto avoid writing down the content of the course; thatcan be gleaned from the weekly Leaflets. Thoughin the intermediate grades we still use letter gradesat this time (usually either an A, a B, a C+, a C, ora C-), the current trajectory in the field of educationis away from letter grades and more towards thetype of descriptors that are already in place in theprimary grades.

Perhaps the second part of our report, the "StudentReport on Work Habits, Social Responsibility andEffort" is the component that students and parentsfind most interesting. After all, it is this componentwhich reports about Initiative and OrganizationalAbility, Social Development, and General Behavior.In other words, teachers communicate how thestudent's character is developing. Or, to rephraseit: how the student is progressing with regards totheir core competencies. At the end of this report,teachers attempt to accurately and succinctlycapture in a written paragraph how students havebeen doing during the past term. As you mightimagine, completing all the report cards constitutesa great deal of work and effort on the part of theteachers - all the while continuing the regularday-to-day activities in the classroom.

We hope that most parents are able to meet withthe teachers at the parent / teacher times,scheduled for evenings on Tuesday, December 10,and Thursday, December 12. Credo's missionstatement is to "educate our children to developtheir individual potential and to acquire theknowledge, skills and attitudes needed for a life ofresponsible stewardship in God's Kingdom." Parent/ teacher conference provide an excellentopportunity for parents and teachers to discusshow the children are doing in that regard.

Outside the School The most recent issue of Clarion ("a CanadianReformed Magazine: to encourage, educate,engage, and unite") included an article by Rev.Peter Holtvlüwer entitled "Open the School Doors."

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Considering teaching?

Has anyone told you what their third favourite reptile is? Has anyone ever introduced you to their pet rock Sir James

the Knight of Playgroundia? Have you had the chance to watch someone have a "light bulb moment" after weeks of

struggling with something? Teaching offers an opportunity foster a love of learning, exploring, and engaging with

meaningful material while creating lasting relationships with students.

Teaching at Credo has been a huge blessing as a new teacher. Not only is the staff extremely supportive, but there

are many opportunities for senior teachers to mentor those of us who are new to the profession. There is a high level

of professionalism and collaborative spirit at CCES. Teaching is a career that can grow with you and allows for

flexibility in whatever life circumstance you're in.

Nadine Krikke

In this article he reminds the readers what aprofound blessing our schools across the countryhave been to our families and churches, andencourages us to continue to cherish theconfessional basis that our schools were foundedupon. The identity of our schools and the closelinkages that exist between our schools andchurches should be celebrated. I'm thankful for anarticle like that which focuses on the core identity ofour schools. Occasionally we note that the supportbase for our school seems to have shiftedsomewhat; historically numerous school societiesenjoyed very high levels of support (includingfinancial) from a broad cross-section of the churchcommunity. The current trend in some of ourschools seems to be to be moving more and moretowards a "user-pay" understanding. Most leadersin our school system perceive that as a loss, sincethat seems to be a weakening of the communal /covenantal understanding of educating the nextgeneration of children in our care. After all, whenAsaph penned those first verses in Psalm 78 aboutpassing on a precious heritage to the nextgeneration, he was likely thinking "collectivechildren" rather than only his biological own.

In light of some broad cultural pressures on ourindependent schools today, it would be good tomaintain as broad levels of support for our schoolsas possible. What kind of cultural pressures am Ithinking of? In the first place, scarcely a week goesby and we hear another reference to the efforts ofsome to redefine the family unit, as well as historicChristian understandings of sexuality. Just a fewweeks ago a contender for the Democraticnomination for President of the US was askedwhether or not religious institutions like schools,churches, and charities, should lose theirtax-exempt status if they oppose same-sexmarriage. The unequivocal answer was quicklygiven: "Yes."

That cultural pressure cannot be expected to passby this province; the intolerance of the cultural leftis likely to increasingly demand full compliancefrom all, and especially from Christians. Secondly,many teachers recently heard a speech related tocurrent understandings of first nations peoples.That presentation revealed not only some of thesad injustices that first nations peoples haveendured across North America, but also capturedsome of the sentiments which that community canbe expected to increasingly articulate in comingyears. Though I for one don't know what exactly theway forward needs to be to achieve societalreconciliation, we can expect this file to be a verychallenging one for all of us in the years ahead.May the relationships between our churches,homes, and schools remain evident in every way asincreasingly the Christian faith comes under attack.

In Conclusion Readers of Clarion will soon see an ad with aninvitation to apply for a teaching position at Credonext year. In light of a limited supply of teachers,combined with the very large class sizes we areexperiencing, taking into account personalcircumstances of some of our teaching staff, we feltwe should get an ad out sooner rather than later. Atsome future occasion I'll write more about thebroader staffing challenges schools in our systemare facing. In the meantime, please encouragethose who are considering a career change, orthinking about what kind of career to prepare for, topursue teaching; our schools need committedteachers. Pray that our schools can continue tohave the needed staff to operate in the yearsahead.

Thank you for your continued support andencouragement for the work undertaken at CredoChristian Elementary School.

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December 1, 2019

Minutes of the October 2019 AGMCredo Christian Elementary SchoolMinutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Board of Directorsof Credo Christian Elementary School with the MembershipOctober 30th, 2019 - CCES Gymnasium

Opening & Welcome: The Chairman, RonScheper, welcomed all those present and openedthe meeting. He requested the membership to singPsalm 105 stanzas 1 & 2, read from Ephesians4:11-16, and followed with prayer. A quorum ofmembers was present. The agenda was adoptedafter being amended to include a presentation onthe Shop Easy Program. Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the CCESmembership meeting held May 29th, 2019 weredistributed prior to the meeting. A motion to adoptthe minutes as presented was seconded andcarried by a show of hands.

Business Arriving from the Minutes: • Traffic Circle - Renovations to the traffic circle

will be addressed this coming summer as perthe capital plan.

• Bylaw Amendments - The Bylaw amendmentsapproved by the membership at the lastmeeting have been filed with the ProvincialRegistrar and Canada Revenue Agency.

Update on CCES Board Activities: • The chairman provided an update on CCES

Board activities:• The Boards are in the process of setting up the

new committee that will implement theValley-wide High School recommendations.

• The Board is actively reviewing the 3kmbussing limit, and is working with CCSTA toaddress coordination challenges. The CCSTAwill be installing cameras and GPS on thebusses, and parents will have access to aweb-based interface to see the bus locations.

• The maintenance committee completedrenovations to the intermediate wingclassrooms over the summer break. Memberswho helped out with the work and donatedfunds to the project were thanked for theircontributions.

• The Board has completed an update to itsBoard Policy and Procedures manual whichincludes an electronic version of the materials.

• The Board is actively working on coordinatingfundraising initiatives and bringing the financesand accounting under one umbrella.

• The Board has made plans to assist with thetransition of new Board members andorientation.

Presentation from Shop Easy: The Chairmangave the floor to community member Mary-AnneVanderhorst who delivered a presentation on theShop Easy program. It was noted that the programis the most profitable fundraiser for the school, anddoes not require members to make additionalpurchases that they aren't already making. Acomparison between other credit cards showedthat the benefit to the school is much more efficientthan individual cash back programs. Thecommittee is currently looking into enabling creditcard purchases for gift cards, however this maycome with additional fees. The membership wasfurther encouraged to make use of the program forthe benefit of the school. An opportunity forquestions from the floor was provided. There wereno further questions.

Board Elections for Four Vacancies: Four newdirectors were required to replace Tim Bontkes,who resigned his position, and Erica Feunekes,Ron Scheper and Will VanOene who hadcompleted their terms. Nominees were: KeithBroersma, Darren Leffers, John Lof, MirjamScholtens, Matt Schouten, Paul Sikma, LisaVanDyke and Brad VanOene. The chairman readoff the names of the nominees and requested themembership to mark their ballots. The ballots werecollected and, after due process, elected wereKeith Broersma, Paul Sikma, Lisa VanDyke andBrad VanOene. A motion to destroy the ballotswas seconded and carried by a show of hands.

Annual Report: The Chairman gave the floor toboard Secretary Will VanOene who presented thesecretary's annual report for the 2018/19 schoolyear. After the presentation, the Chairman furtherencouraged the membership to come and visit the

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Board Secretary’s Annual Report Will VanOene

school to experience the learning environment andschool culture first hand.

Review of Financial Statements: The Chairmangave the floor to board Treasurer Ian Moes whopresented the financial statements for the 2018/19school year along with the review engagementreport from Avisar, and the review report completedby Rob Vandeburgt and Jared Bouwman. Anopportunity for questions was given throughout thepresentation. There were no further questions.A motion to accept the financial statements aspresented along with the accountant's reviewengagement report and the reviewer's report wasseconded and carried by a show of hands.A motion to approve the reappointment of Avisar asthe Society's accountants for the 2019-20 fiscalyear was seconded and approved by a show ofhands.

Question Period: An opportunity for generalquestions from the floor was provided:• A question was asked by a member regarding

their family's specific bussing situation andwhether anything can be done to shareallocation spots and improve ride times. It wasnoted that the Board is working with the CCSTAto better understand delivery options,coordination challenges, and scheduling. Thiswill require ongoing engagement with themembership since everyone's individual needsand situation will be different.

Thanksgiving Prayer: The Chairman gave thefloor to community member Will Faber who, afteroffering thanks to the Board for their work, led inthanksgiving prayer.

Closing: The Chairman closed the meeting andthanked all for coming.

This report was presented at the CCES AnnualGeneral Membership Meeting, October 30, 2019.

In October 2018, Credo Elementary, along withCredo High, underwent an external evaluation bythe Ministry of Education. This evaluation isscheduled every six years to assess whether ourschools are meeting Ministry requirements. Inaddition to prescribed requirements, the Ministry isalso interested in knowing whether or not we aredelivering education in the spirit and culture of ourself-described Reformed Christian perspective. Evaluation is a very important part of education. Students are evaluated by their teachers to ensurethat they are achieving the skills and knowledgerequired. Teachers are evaluated byadministration to ensure learning objectives arebeing met. Administration is evaluated by theBoard to confirm that the school overall is beingmanaged effectively. As well parents evaluate theeducation system as a whole to ensure theircovenant children are receiving the best possibleeducation, according to the individual needs, and inline with their baptismal promises. We can bethankful for the positive feedback received from theexternal evaluation for our professional and positiveculture and learning environment. The reviewerswere very impressed at how our identity shone

through in all aspects of the educational program atCredo. God in his providence has allowed Credoto prosper by providing us with the freedom tooperate, supportive government ministries, and astrong financial position. As we evaluate our work,we do so in light of the fact that all of our skills,abilities, talents and contributions come not by ourown strength, but by the gracious hand of ourHeavenly Father.

Tonight I am presenting my sixth annual report onbehalf of the CCES Board. Another year has goneby and as we look back and reflect, we humblythank God for all his blessings, both individually,and collectively as a school society. At the start ofthe 2018 school year, Credo Elementary opened itsdoors to 215 covenant children. This number hasremained relatively consistent over the last threeyears, but continued to challenge us with largeclasses on average. Each student contributed tothe overall richness of the school with their uniquepersonalities and talents. Board and Education

Committee members who visited the classroomsreported on the positive learning environmentevident at Credo. They noted students engaged inthe learning process, and faithful staff memberscommitted to their task of guiding their students

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December 1, 2019

each according to their individual needs, andteaching from a uniquely Reformed Christianperspective. Many learning opportunities wereprovided outside of the classroom, includingassemblies, field trips, awareness days, and sportsevents. Both in the classroom and out, the themetext for the year, Micah 6:8, provided a foundationfor the educational program. The students weretaught to act justly, love mercy and walk humblywith their God. When we witness studentsprogressing through their educational journey it ishumbling to think how God loves and cares foreach one of his children. We began last year with a team of paid staff thatincluded thirteen full- and part-time licensedteachers, seven education assistants, two musicteachers, one librarian, one office administrator,and one principal. Our staff performed their dutiesdiligently, collaborated with each other, prayedtogether, and provided assistance to each other. Their commitment to the school, and the children intheir care was clearly seen through their work. Professional development opportunities wereembraced, and many gave of their own time tosupport extra-curricular activities for the benefit ofthe students.

Last year we welcomed to the staff, HeatherDykstra as a new teacher who took her place in theGrade 1 class. We also welcomed out ofretirement, Jerry Scholtens, who filled the vacancyin Grade 5. Later in the year, we welcomed AliceWu to our team of education assistants, and wesaid farewell to Allyson Winkelaar who departedCredo to embrace her responsibilities as a newmother. In her place we welcomed Jessica Deboerwho was with us until the end of the year. At theend of the year, we also said farewell to JennHarink and Sarah Beintema. For all departing staffmembers, we wish them the Lord's blessing in theirnew callings, and we thank them for their dedicatedservice to our school.

In the front office, our principal, Otto Bouwmanprovided leadership for the staff, encouraged andsupported students, and took responsibility for theeducational program. With the assistance ofElma Kuntz, Jennifer Onderwater and DebHuttema, the day-to-day operation of the schoolcould carry on smoothly. Otto also maintainedcommunication with the principals of our sisterschools on matters of mutual concern. As theBoard's executive officer, Otto provided timely

reports, assisted in policy development, and keptthe Board up to date with developments in the fieldof education. The Board is grateful for a strongand professional administrative team at our school.

The Board continued its work in the governing ofthe society. At the last AGM, the membershipelected three new directors, Roger Aikema, IanMoes and Richard Welfing to the Board. We saidfarewell to Tim Rook, who departed for CarmenManitoba, and Oliver Hansma who had completedhis second term. The vacancy left by Neil Dykstrawas also filled at this time.

The Board met monthly, to discuss and makedecisions related to the operation of the school. Tim Bontkes continued as chairman of the Board,and was fully committed to providing leadership tothe Board, managing meetings and preparingagendas. Ongoing contact with the principal,meetings with principals and board chairs of otherschools, preparing reports for Board meetings andBranches took up much of Tim's spare time. At theend of last year, we said farewell to Tim, whoresigned his position from the Board. At this time,we thank Tim for his insight, commitment and hardwork over the last three years. The Board maintained six standing committeesmade up of Board members and volunteers fromthe membership, to assist in the work of Education,Membership, Finance, Fundraising, Maintenanceand, IT. Each committee diligently executed itsmandate and reported to the Board on a regularbasis. Last year the Education committee, led byDeanna Vandyke completed a review of theLanguage Arts Curriculum. The MaintenanceCommittee, led by Richard Welfing executedwell-received improvements to the intermediateclassrooms. The Fundraising committee, led byRoger Aikema, along with Credo Aid, delivered thefirst ever combined Golf Tournament/Galafundraiser which was a resounding success.

In addition to the Board committees, Credo wasactive together with our sister schools inTranspor ta t ion, Reformed Cur r icu lumDevelopment, Salary and Special EducationCommittees. At this end of the school year, theSpecial Education agreement between Credo andWilliam of Orange officially came to an end. TheBoard also met twice with representatives from thehigh school who reported on their activities for thepurposes of our Legal Authority framework. Our

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strong bond with our sister schools in the FraserValley was demonstrated by the unanimousmembership approval of the Valley Wide HighSchool Review committee recommendation. Welook forward to working with the other schoolstowards the united goals laid out in therecommendation.

At this time, we also thank the many individualswho continue to volunteer their time and talents tosupport and uphold the cause of ReformedEducation at Credo. Some do their work in theforefront and some behind the scenes. They helpout in the classrooms, drive for field trips, attendmeetings, clean and repair the school grounds,organize events and fundraise, make calls andvisits, coach and mentor and generally provide ahelping hand or an encouraging word wherever it isneeded. When we consider the contributions andtalents of so many faithful and talented members,we are reminded of the words of 1 Corinthians15:4-5 where we read: "Now there are varieties ofgifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowersthem all in everyone."

Tonight we will elect new Board members to fill thevacancy left by Tim Bontkes, Erica Feunekes, RonScheper, and myself. We thank the outgoingBoard members for their willingness to serve, andfor the contributions they could make over thecourse of their terms on the Board. We welcomenew Board members, to help carry out the mandateof school governance. For all of us who haveserved on the Board, we consider it a privilege, andwe thank you for the confidence you place in us. For those who do not get elected, we thank you foryour willingness to let your name stand, and weencourage you to seek other opportunities to serve. As we embark on another year, amidst variouschanges, and uncertainty, let us place our work inthe hands of our heavenly Father. I will close withthe words of Philippians 4:6-7: "Do not be anxiousabout anything, but in everything by prayer andsupplication with thanksgiving let your requests bemade known to God. And the peace of God,which surpasses all understanding, will guard yourhearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Calendar UpdateDecember 2 December Assembly 8:45 - gym

6 Report Cards

10, 12 Parent-Teacher Conferences

18 Christmas Program 7 pm -church

19 School Skating

20 Last day before Christmas Break

January 23–Jan 3 Christmas Vacation no school

6 School reopens

13 Awareness Raiser -EduDeo 8:45 - gym

February 3 Opening Assembly 8:45 - gym

14 ProD Day no school

17 Family Day no school

March 2 Opening Assembly 8:45 - gym

10 Report Cards

12 Student-Led Conferences

13 Student-Led Conferences no school

16-27 March Break no school

30 School reopens

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December 1, 2019

Short Reports of Board MeetingsShort Report of the Meeting of the Board of Directors of Credo Christian Elementary SchoolSeptember 9th, 2019

• Opening and Welcome: The Chairman, RonScheper, opened the meeting by reading fromPsalm 19:9-14 and prayer. He welcomed theDirectors and Principal Otto Bouwman to themeeting.

• Agenda Approval: The agenda for the regularboard meeting was approved.

• Minutes and Short Report: The Minutes andShort Report of the June 10, 2019 Boardmeeting were adopted. Two previous Boarddecisions to approve enrolment of studentswere recorded.

• Incoming/Outgoing Correspondence: Twoletters were received from families requestingto cancel their membership. A letter wasreceived from Tim Bontkes resigning hisposition on the CCES Board. Two letters werereceived from the Aldergrove Refugee AidCommittee regarding potential enrolment ofrefugee families. A letter was received from theShalom Committee of Langley Churchregarding enrolment of a refugee family. Anoutgoing letter was sent to a family approvingtheir enrolment request.

• Principal's Report: Otto Bouwman presentedthe Principal's Report for September 2019 andprovided updates on start of year activities andclassroom staffing assignments. Policies onprofessional development and employmentwere discussed and will be reviewed further.

• Chairman's Report: Ron Scheper reported onhis activities as chairman since the lastmeeting, including meetings with Tim Bontkesto discuss transition.

• General Business: A number of matters werediscussed including principal evaluation, nextsteps for the Valley Wide High School plan, andplanning for the board staff social. The Ad-Hoc

committee for Board nominations was struck.

• Membership Committee: Roger Aikemareported on the activities of the MembershipCommittee. A suggestion to host an orientationday for new members prior to the first day ofschool was discussed. Mandy Dewit and KatieVandergaag were appointed to the committee.

• Education Committee: Deanna VanDykereported on the activities of the EducationCommittee. The committee plans to review thereading curriculum this year.

• Fundraising Committee: The minutes of arecent Fundraising Committee meeting weresubmitted and reviewed. Roger Aikemareported on meetings with representatives fromCredo Aid and the Shop Easy program.

• Maintenance Committee: Richard Welfingreported on the work completed over thesummer break including intermediateclassroom renovations and the August workbee.

• CCSTA: Ron Scheper reported that theCCSTA is planning on installing GPS on thebusses and plans to give parents access to beable to track the location of the busses.

• IT Committee: The minutes of a recent ITCommittee meeting were submitted andreviewed. Will VanOene reported on ITimprovements made over the summer breakincluding upgraded teacher desktops andinstallation of short throw projectors.

• Next Meetings / Events: The next regularBoard meeting is planned for October 7, 2019.

• Closing: Erica Feunekes offered a prayer ofthanksgiving. Ron Scheper closed the meetingand thanked all for coming.

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Short Report of the Meeting of the Board of Directors of Credo Christian Elementary SchoolOctober 7th, 2019

• Opening and Welcome: The Chairman, RonScheper, opened the meeting by reading fromPsalm 145 and prayer. He welcomed theDirectors and Principal Otto Bouwman to themeeting.

• Agenda Approval: The agenda for the regularboard meeting was approved.

• Minutes and Short Report: The Minutes andShort Report of the September 9, 2019 Boardmeeting were adopted.

• Principal's Report: Otto Bouwman presentedthe Principal's Report for October 2019 andprovided a report on the recent NationalPrincipal's Conference. A discussion was hadon extending benefits to part-time staff. Thismatter will be brought up at the SalaryCommittee for consideration.

• Chairman's Report: The chairman's reportwas received for information. The EducationCommittee was mandated to scope potentialprogram models for ESL education to help theBoard understand the delivery requirements.

• General Business: A draft mandate for thevalley-wide implementation committee wasreviewed. Keith Broersma, Darren Leffers,John Lof, Mirjam Scholtens, Matt Schouten,Paul Sikma, Lisa VanDyke and Brad VanOenewere nominated as candidates for Boardpositions. The agenda for the upcoming AGMwas finalized. Ian Moes was appointed to theAd-hoc Salary Committee.

• Membership Committee: MembershipCommittee minutes were submitted andreviewed Roger Aikema reported on the

activities of the Membership Committee.

• Education Committee: Education Committeeminutes were submitted and reviewed. DeannaVanDyke reported on the activities of theEducation Committee. Upcoming classroomvisits were scheduled.

• Fundraising Committee: FundraisingCommittee minutes were submitted andreviewed. Roger Aikema reported on theactivities of the Fundraising Committee. Abudget from Credo Aid was received forinformation.

• Finance Committee: Ian Moes reported arecent meeting of the Finance Committee withthe school's accountant, Avisar. The draftfinancial statements for 2018/19 were reviewedand approved for presentation to themembership.

• Maintenance Committee: A cost accountingbudget for the recent renovation workcompleted over the summer was received andreviewed. It was noted that the work wascompleted on budget.

• CCSTA: Ron Scheper reported that theCCSTA will have GPS and cameras into thebus fleet. Discussions are being had with theCCSTA on implementing community stops.

• Next Meetings / Events: The next regularBoard meeting is planned for November 11,2019. The fall annual general membershipmeeting is planned for October 30, 2019.

• Closing: Will VanOene offered a prayer ofthanksgiving. Ron Scheper closed the meetingand thanked all for coming.

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December 1, 2019

Credo Aid Update...

Grade 3 Imaginative Narratives Unicornville Part 1

By Kristen Lengkeek

Once upon a time there were two unicorns

named Ruby and Rosie. They were best friends

and they had special powers. They lived in an

enchanted village called Unicornville.

Once day they were exploring the forest, but

then suddenly a robber jumped out of the bush

and unicornkapped them. They stuffled to

escape and they got free. But now they were

lost.

They wandered and wandered and wandered

until...they found a macical cabin that game

them magical powers. Then they lived there for

a month. They didn’t realize that the owner of

the cabin was the boss of all the robbers. He

hated unicorns! He was really angry because

he didn’t like them living in his cabin. He called

his robbers. W hen the robbers came, the

Welcome to the last month of 2019! We arethankful to God for so many blessings and you asa supportive community who allows Credo Aid togive back to our amazing staff & students so theycan thrive in their school environment.

Croquetten Profits - $8100! Thank you to all whoordered and the hardworking and organized prepteam and all the volunteers who made it a success!

This past month we accepted the uniquefundraising opportunity by "Glow Gardens" tooperate a Coat Check at the Abbotsford Tradex. We are sharing the first two weeks with JohnCalvin School. Credo Aid has committed to work 7nights: December 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21. Eachshift requires at least 2 adults and 5-8 people. Some shifts are longer than others. John CalvinSchool will be working from December 5-12 soonce we know how things are running, we mayneed to adjust our schedule at that time.

Sign up for a volunteer spot at this weblink: volunteersignup.org/L3CEM Contact Pearl Hoff forinquiries. cphoff98@outlook.com

As noted in Leaflets this past Monday, Credo Aidwas so grateful to 5 amazing ladies who have

come forward to organize a Spring CommunityEvent! If you have been thinking about helping out,these ladies probably would appreciate anotherhelping hand: Kendra Vandergaag, CarolynBontkes, Sue Vanderhorst, Michelle Dehaas andAndria Lengkeek.

Credo Aid is providing lots of sugary treats thismonth... Christmas candy bag after the ChristmasProgram on December 18 and hot chocolate &Timbits to warm up the ice skaters on December19. If you are missing out on the fundraising events orvolunteer opportunities, join our very active"CREDO-AID" FACEBOOK PAGE. Each Monday,the school sends out updates via Leaflets, soplease ask the front office to be added to the emaillist.

On behalf of the Credo Aid Board,Pearl HoffMarcia WildeboerTanya ScholtensLeona HuttemaAllison Vandeburgt

The Attacker’s

By Logan Meerstra

There once lived a brave knight. His name was

Zookarookoo. He had a pet dragon. His name

was Little Zook. Zookarookoo and Little Zook

lived in a castle named Rune Castle.

Oh no! Another castle is on the attack. Their

army name is called the trolls. They want to rule

the world.

King Adom wanted Zookarookoo to spy on the

trolls! Zookarookoo agreed. Zookarookoo

started to spy. The trolls captured

Zookarookoo. King Adom sent the army to

flight! Rune Castle lost the fight and the trolls

ruled the world.

-11-

Credo Christian Elementary School

21919 52 Ave. Langley BC V2Y 2M7

Phone: 604-530-1131 Fax:604 530-4268

e-mail cces@telus.net

website: www.credoces.org

Board of Directors

Paul Sikma (2022) Chairman

Keith Broersma (2022) Secretary

Ian Moes (2021) Treasurer

Lisa VanDyke Membership/CCHS

Roger Aikema (2021) Fundraising/Finance

Deanna VanDyke (2020) Education/PR

Richard Welfing (2021) CCSTA

Brad VanOene (2022) Maintenance/IT

Education Committee

Deanna VanDyke Pearl Hoff

Yvonne Jacobi Jacoba Leyenhorst

Brad VanOene Kelly VanSeters

Otto Bouwman Jennifer Onderwater

Membership Committee

Lisa VanDyke Mandy Dewit

Ryan Sikma Rob VanDelft

Katie Vandergaag

Finance Committee

Ian Moes Roger Aikema

Elma Kuntz

Maintenance Committee

Brad VanOene Rob Bisschop

Darryl Hofsink Ivan Scheper

Dave Vandeburgt James Vandeburgt

Staff

Otto Bouwman Principal

Jennifer Onderwater VP, Grade 1 & 2

Leslie Scholtens Kindergarten

Mary MacDougal Grade 1 & 2

Heather Dykstra Grade 1 & 2

Stephen Chase Grade 3

Debora Minderhoud Grade 2 & 3

Nadine Krikke Grade 4

Jerry Scholtens Grade 5

Linda VanSpronsen Grade 5

David Wu Grade 6

Diana Nobel Grade 7

Deborah Huttema SpEd, LA

Yvonne Jacobi Music 4,5

Mekayla Knol Music 6,7

Lisa Devries Educational Ass’t

Kim Groen Educational Ass’t

Yolanda Hoogstra Educational Ass’t

Katelyn Mostert Educational Ass’t

Wilma Santema Educational Ass’t

Evelynn Scheper Educational Ass’t

Jacqueline Spoor Educational Ass’t

Lisa Vanderven Educational Ass’t

Joy VanVliet Educational Ass’t

Alice Wu Educational Ass’t

Jackie VanOene Librarian

Elma Kuntz Bookkeeper

Kendra Vandergaag Office Administrator

Credo Aid

Pearl Hoff Leona Huttema

Tanya Scholtens Allison Vandeburgt

Audrey Leyenhorst Marcia Wildeboer

Fee Structure 2019-2020

Membership 125.00 Kindergarten 320.00

Elem. (1-3) 530.00 Elem (4-7) 550.00

Junior High 695.00 Senior High 745.00

Grade 2 - Remembrance Day Artwork

Grade 5 - ‘Tape’stry Art

Grade 4 - W arm/Cool Artwork

BRANCHES

In This Issue:

• From the Chairman

• From the Principal

• Minutes of AGM

• Board Secretary’s Annual Report

• Short Reports of Board Meetings

• Credo Aid Update

• Calendar Update

• Short Stories from Grade 3

Volume 32

Issue 3

Dec 1, 2019

The purpose of our parental Christian School is to educate our children to develop their individual potential and toacquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for a life of responsible stewardship in God's Kingdom.