Heritage Christian School R
THE
E G A T HERI D L A R HE FEBRUARY 2015
Three pursuits, one Kingdom vision
An update from Heritage Principal Mike Annis
During the middle of the school year, I often reflect on the first five months of school while, simultaneously, looking toward the end of the year and beyond. Regardless of the direction I fix my attention, I am either reminded of God’s faithfulness to His school or His promise to provide for our needs according to His riches in glory. In a similar phrase, “riches of His glory” found in Paul’s letters to the Romans and Ephesians, God reveals His desire for us and the inexhaustible resources from which He promises to sustain and sanctify us. He calls us to advance His kingdom. At Heritage Christian School, we are committed to Kingdom work and are, therefore, reminded daily of our dependence on the provision of our Great God and Savior. This year, that commitment has taken shape in three pursuits. First, two teachers and I are in the first year of a three year pilot project with the purpose to train, refine, and direct our thinking to intentional biblical worldview development in our students (biblicalworldview.com). More than anything, we desire authentic spiritual transformation for our children. Only then will we see them “complete, equipped for every good work.” We are excited to be a part of this and anticipate God working through our learning to transform His school as the rest of the teachers begin the process in year two! Second, since Heritage is nearly 23 years old, the time has come to revisit the governance structure of the school which includes a review and revision of the by-laws and board policy.
A committee was formed for this task and includes representatives from each stage of the school’s journey. Painstaking work has been done over the past four months to insure that sound biblical guidance exists for the Board of Directors and the Head of School and that the school’s biblical foundation remains strong for years to come. Our hope is that this task is completed before this school year ends. The third pursuit comes in the form of our need for additional instructional space. Working with the Timothy Group from Grand Rapids, MI, Heritage is laying the groundwork for building expansion and a capital campaign. While every seat in every class is not yet filled, there is no more room to expand which limits our growth potential. Preliminary plans have been drawn and you will soon be hearing more details of the direction we believe God is leading us. Thankfully, He already knows what we need and we have confidence that He will provide accordingly. Enrollment for next year has begun and we anticipate great things! Please continue praying for us, that God provide wisdom, insight, understanding, and discernment. God’s Blessings,
Mike Annis, M.Ed.
2014 ANNUAL FUND
As many of you know, God entrusted us with more than $120,000 through the Annual Fund this year. Your generosity allows us to accomplish projects and meet needs that otherwise would be very difficult. Here is an update on how those funds are being used.
Classroom Furnishing
Replaced 24 student chairs (previous chairs were purchased from U of I Surplus 9 years ago) in Miss Mysnyk’s classroom.
Co-Curricular Programs IT
Executing a sound technology plan has been a priority for HCS for many years to insure that our faculty, staff, and students are working with up-to-date hardware and software. The following projects are currently underway: • • • •
Upgrading 11 Faculty/Staff Computers Upgrading 24 Computer Lab Computers Updating Network Security Software Installing a projection system in the 4th grade classroom
Heritage Christian School co-curricular programs are vital to the well-rounded education that we desire to provide students. Those programs are being improved by: • •
Additional risers for Heritage Singers choral group Updated uniforms for the girls’ basketball team
Tuition Assistance
Our pursuit of excellence is expensive and very difficult to make affordable. To facilitate this pursuit, it is imperative that we invest resources in making enrollment accessible to families in our community. This year, at least $37,000 will be set aside from the Annual Fund to support those in need of tuition assistance.
Average Early Elementary Class Sizes
Kindergarten 1st grade 2nd grade 3rd grade
Heritage Christian School
Iowa City Clear Creek CSD Amana CSD
11 11.5 14 18
19.8 19.2 18.9 23
Fourth graders in Miss Jensen’s class create a circuit during their unit on electricity. To see more photos and videos of Heritage students in action, visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/HeritageNL.
19.8 18.9 19.7 21.3
*Iowa Department of Education
Visit our website for more information and to take a look at our digital 2015-16 Admissions Viewbook.
www.hcs-nl.com
In the past 10 years‌ 30 Heritage alumni have graduated from local high schools with high honors. 10 Heritage alumni have graduated from local high schools with a 4.0 GPA. 5 Heritage alumni have graduated from local high schools as Valedictorians.
2 01 3 IOW A A SS ESS MENTS
OUTSTANDING IOWA ASSESSMENT SCORES Math Proficiency by Common Core Standards 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th Heritage Christian School 95% 90% 92% 100% 100% 100% Clear Creek Amana CSD 73% 81% 81% 70% 76% 80% Iowa City CSD 75% 79% 76% 74% 80% 79%
Reading Proficiency by Common Core Standards 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th Heritage Christian School 95% 95% 88% 75% 81% 100% Clear Creek Amana CSD 80% 83% 84% 62% 72% 63% Iowa City CSD 77% 76% 75% 65% 71% 72% *Iowa Department of Education
Heritage Christian School 255 Hackberry St. North Liberty, IA 52317
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