Our Journey at South Side Christian School

Maddy, Cristciel, Elena, and Arden: Grade 7-9 Class Party

I am incredibly proud and honored to say I am a product of Adventist Education. I know it was challenging but yet a mission for my mother, a single parent, to ensure my brothers and I had the opportunity to be nurtured and educated in a spiritual environment. During my short time at South Side Christian School, I see that same dedication from both parents and Church members to ensure that Adventist Education is being offered here in Red Deer. I think it is essential for us to reflect on God's goodness and hear three of our student's stories:

Daysha, Diego, Ethan— Online Learning.

Hi, I’m Cristciel. I am 15 years old, and I’m in Grade 9. This is my story about attending South Side Christian School. I’ve been at this school since I was in grade one when there were less than 20 people in the entire school. But a lot has changed since then, like the teachers, classrooms, and new students too.

I still remember most of the teachers that have taught me through the years. Mrs. Geates told our grade two class stories from books. Ms. Rusk taught us things by song, and Mr. Densmore, who would show us how to enjoy ourselves at school. You could always learn something new with the different teachers.

The school has grown to a decent size, big enough for everyone but small enough not to get lost. We never had a S.T.E.A.M lab until 2019. Thanks to the teachers and donations, we now have an excellent S.T.E.A.M lab where I can get hands-on learning!

South Side Christian School isn’t like any other school. There is a giant field to play soccer in, a forest big enough to build teepees in, but a small enough school to know all the teachers and students. The school also lets us have Christmas plays, auctions, and family potlucks around the fire pit. I love my school!

—Cristciel Knight, Grade 9

Rachella—S.T.E.A.M. lab fun.

Hi! My name is Elena, and I'm in grade 8. I've been at South Side for a total of 2 years. It's been a great two years. I was homeschooled before my parents put me in this school. SSCS seemed to be the best fitting because it didn’t have as many people as in bigger schools. I think my parents were a little bit worried about sending me to a big school right after homeschooling me for so many years because it would be a bit overwhelming. Yes, this school was an excellent fit for that! It didn't overwhelm me too much, and it got me to recognize how a school should feel like! If you have kids who are homeschooled and want to send them to school but don’t want to overwhelm them, South Side is a great option.

My first year at South Side is one to remember, as it was enjoyable and exciting. All the teachers were super kind and patient. They were all good at getting the students involved in the activities. My classmates were all very kind and funny. The students are all so good at making sure nobody gets left out. The school feels like a big family and is very warm and welcoming even during these challenging times because of COVID-19. South Side helped me get closer to God and truly understand what it means to be a Christian. This year (which is my second year here at South Side) has been somewhat different due to COVID-19, but everyone is still trying their hardest to make the environment a safe and happy place to be in, which makes me thrilled to know!! This year I feel like my learning experience for specific subjects such as science and math have significantly increased! I’m so happy to be able to say that I go to South Side. There have been a couple of new students this year, and we even have a fabulous new teacher, Miss Heroux, in our class! This year has been very productive for me and, at the same time, fun and pleasant! 

— Elena Vasquez, Grade 8

Natalia: Leaf Painting.

Hello, my name is Arden, and I have attended South Side Christian School for eight years. I am currently in grade 7, which means I have been here since kindergarten. I am 12 years old and have had three different excellent homeroom teachers. I love the school because we have lots of cool annual activities like spirit week, Christmas plays, outdoor school, sports day, and many other fun things like camps and Micro-School gatherings. My journey at my school has been pretty interesting. My first three years here were delightful. I had a lovely teacher named Miss Geates. She was very good at her job, and we did lots of great activities. My favourite part of the day is when I would be allowed to go up into the loft at the back of the classroom. Mrs. Geates was an amusing person to be with and was always pretty proud whenever we accomplished something. I learned to read and write from Mrs. Geates' classroom. After that, I spent my next three years from grade 3 to grade 6 in Mr. Densmore's class. It was entertaining! We did cool experiments like making rubber band cars and hot air balloons. I also met a lot of friends and still am friends to this day even though we go to different schools. While I was in Mr. Densmore's class, my favourite thing was when the year would end, and we would have a party. That would always be the highlight of the school year to me, and we would have a big potluck, play video games on giant cushions, and have neat and fun activities with the whole class. Like Mrs. Geates, Mr. Densmore was an amusing person and loved the outdoors. He would show us pictures of him on the water or when he would go mountain biking and show us footage from his go pro. This year I have a new teacher, Miss Heroux. It has been a pretty great year, even though it’s only been five months. We did some cool things like Best Dressed day, Superhero day and dressed up like totally different people. We also have this point system that gets us prizes. Just recently we gained enough to have a party where we watched a movie and wore pajamas. Miss Heroux is also a wonderful and fun person. We always like to hear stories about her life. She is a fantastic person! We would also make lots of inside jokes that make us laugh. But to me, the best thing about the school is that it brings us closer to God. We can learn from various stories in the Bible. The teachers make us eager to learn more about the book. Every Thursday, we have an assembly, and the youth pastor, Pastor Moises Ruiz, tells us a story and connects it to the Bible to give an inspiring message. Whenever I walk into the school, it's not just a school. It's home to me. We can’t do that without tremendous support from our local church. The mission of our school is to inspire faith, develop wisdom, and equip us for service. My teachers and church have blessed me with this experience. That's why I recommend South Side Christian School to everyone!

— Arden Sending, Grade 7

What a fantastic job the teachers before and during my time at South Side Christian School have done with the privilege of working with God's children! I am honored to be a teacher in that same Adventist system I attended as a little girl. Let’s never forget how important our school is to our students.

— Submitted by Mrs. Martha Boehner, Head Teacher, South Side Christian School