Tiger Tracks San Jose Christian School | December 15, 2014 This Week at SJCS See Sports Section for Practice & Game Schedule
Monday
12/15
SJCS Board of Trustees Meeting 7pm | SJCS Auditorium
Tuesday
12/16
Girls & Boys Basketball Game (see sports section for details)
Wednesday
12/17
Boys Basketball Game (see sports section for details)
Thursday Mom’s In Prayer 8:30am SJCS Library
12/18
All School Chapel hosted by the JK/ K classes 8:45 for students 10:30am for parents and community.
Attendance Line (408) 371-4815
Tiger Stripes Reflections on Who We Are by: Bart Den Boer Strategic Initiatives Part 4 This is the fourth article in a series reporting on some strategic objectives identified by Board, staff, and community members at our fall strategic planning sessions. I welcome your comments at bdenboer@sjchristian.org. Strategic Objective #2: Identify A Sustainable Long-Term Campus Option Why is this objective rated as a critical need by so many of our strategic planning participants? There is much to love about our current spacious, treelined campus. Leasing our campus from the Campbell Union School District however, is expensive. Our lease cost is about $650,000 this year, currently representing about 30% of our operating budget -- and increasing annually. As with most leasing arrangements, SJCS is not gaining equity from year to year. The SJCS Board does not believe this arrangement is sustainable in the long term. We are exploring options like partnering with a local church to build a new school on its property or renovating an existing school building. Our objective is to greatly reduce our lease costs or begin a land purchase agreement resulting in gaining long-term equity. Note: This is a very long-term process; right now there are no plans to leave our current campus.
JK/K Christmas Program
Frozen Friday (FF will be held on Thursday due to the MS Field Trip on Friday)
We will have two performances of the program on Thursday (8:45am and 10:30am). The first performance will be the all-school Christmas Chapel for SJCS students in grades 1-8. The second performance for parents, friends, and family. Please plan to join us.
Friday
Travel To the Holy Land in June?
12/19
SJCS National Geography Bee 8:40am | SJCS Auditorium MS Field Trip - Depart 10:30am Girls & Boys Basketball Game (see sports section for details)
Advanced Dates December 22-January 4 Christmas Break
January 5 School Resumes
January 24 Prospective Family Open House at SJCS 10am - 1pm
Are you interested in traveling to the Holy Land with SJCS faculty in June? You are welcome to join a 15-day biblical study tour led by Interim Superintendent Bart Den Boer, a veteran Bible teacher and Holy Land tour leader. Sponsored by the Reformed Church In America, the tour will be the last two weeks in June and cost about $3800. Contact Bart at bdenboer@sjchristian.org for more information.
Calling All Chess Wizards! Starting in January, SJCS will be hosting the Chess Wizards—a chess training program designed for students in K-8th grades. Classes will take place weekly (on Tuesdays from 3:15-4:15), starting January 13th, and the cost of the program will be $135 (for all 9 sessions—advance payment required). No prior knowledge of chess is required, yet students of all skill levels will be challenged at their level of play and will learn valuable strategies and techniques. Come and learn the most popular board game of all time! Stay tuned to Tiger Tracks for more details, or email Mr. I with any questions.
Tiger Tracks Extended Care Rate Increase Effective January 5, 2015 Effective January 5, the first day of extended care after the New Year, the hourly fee for extended care will increase from $5.00 to $6.00 per hour. This first increase in several years is necessary to cover wages and fixed costs associated with this valuable program. Thank you for your understanding. If you have questions related to the changes please feel free to contact Bart Den Boer, Interim Superintendent at bdenboer@sjchristian.org or through the school office.
Pizza & Milk Orders for 2nd Semester New orders need to be made for 2nd semester, which begins on 1/5. You can find the forms on the website today.
December 30 - Special Work Day You are needed! Please consider donating a few hours to spruce up the SJCS Campus on December 30. Contact Mary Schrotenboer, (mary@schrotenboer.com) or Bart Den Boer (bdenboer@sjchristian.org) to sign up
Tiger Cubs|Preschool News! A Holly Jolly Preschool Christmas: A HUGE Success! The Preschool celebrated the spirit of Christmas with a wonderful show of songs, performed by the students of the Butterfly, Dragonfly, and Firefly classes. Thank you to all who came to the show to support our students! A special thank you to those who helped with the success of the show, whether it was setting up, serving, or bringing treats. It was a wonderful time and we look forward to continuing with our new tradition next year!
Teacher Tales| In 2nd grade, students have been discussing who we are as a school through an examination of our mission statement. Each Monday and Wednesday in homeroom, the class explores one phrase of the SJCS mission statement, discussing what any “big words” mean and how they apply to students their age. This has led to fantastic discussions, and the students have had wonderful reflections on exceptional teaching, integrated Biblical perspective, engaging and transforming culture, and committed Christian community.
Logo Wear is still available.
Here are some quotes from the students:
New logo wear is still available. SJCS wearables, bags, hats and umbrellas make wonderful gifts! Stop by Mondays and Fridays outside the office to make your selections.
“Miss Hossink, it’s not just the teachers who can be exceptional teachers. When we went into the 4th grade to see their projects, the 4th graders showed us what exceptional teaching is because they taught us.”
Lost and Found Please be sure to pick up your found items on the Lost and Found Tables outside the school office. Any items remaining on Friday will be donated to City Team Ministries.
January Series Lectures Every January, SJCS serves as a satellite location for a series of lectures from Calvin College. The talks are from renowned speakers and cover a wide range of topics. Hear from an amazing list of guest speakers. For a full list of speakers and topics, visit www.calvin.edu/january. January Series brochures are available in the office and on the credenza in the auditorium as well.
Re-Enrollment is Just Around the Corner January 15 SJCS will launch re-enrollment for the 2015-2016 school year. Watch for incentives and news about next year when we return in January.
“Integrated means like how we are always talking about Love Does in all of our classes.” “We can engage and transform culture for Jesus Christ by teaching our younger brothers and sisters about Jesus.” “Being committed—that’s like when we stick to what Jesus wants us to do and what to be, even when it’s hard.”
SJCS participates in the National Geography Bee! Friday morning several of our students will be participating in the finals of SJCS National Geography Bee. The winner of this school level competition will continue on the the regional level. Please pray for all the students who are participating.
Tiger Tracks Sports this week Girls Basketball: The Lady Tigers brought their own version of a storm on Wednesday afternoon as they defeated Baymonte by a score of 41-15. In a total team effort, the girls took a early lead and never looked back. Great job Lady Tigers! Upcoming this week: Mon: Practice 3:15-5:00 Tues: @ Campbell Christian 4:45 Wed: Practice 3:15-5:00 Thurs; Practice 3:15-5:00 Fri: vs. Los Gatos Christian @ Campbell Christian 3:30
Boys Basketball: The boy’s basketball team is undefeated with a record of 3-0 winning two games last week. They traveled to Santa Cruz and beat Baymonte 38 to 24. Dylan led a swarming defense that pressed and trapped their opponent in the backcourt, which forced turnovers and led to easy fast break baskets. Calvin received the game ball and led all scorers with 19 points. Joe scored 8 points; Dylan, 7 points and both Josh N., and Ryan C. added 2 points. The first home game of the season was a nail biter against Legacy. The Tigers played with the heart of David and never gave up. They overcame adversity with early foul trouble and injuries. In the second half, the Tigers spread the ball around and made great passes for open looks and baskets. Ryan C. stepped up big time and received the game ball. He scored 18 points and made clutch shots in the 4th quarter to help the Tigers come from behind to win. Calvin ran the offense and scored 11 points. Dylan was injured but came off the bench to lead the team with rebounds and steals and chipped in 8 points. Josh N. and Joe pulled down 6 rebounds each and scored 6 points and 4 points respectively. Ryan M. played tough at both ends of the court grabbing 5 rebounds. Mon: Practice 3:15-5:00 Tues: @ Campbell Christian 3:30 Wed: @ Saint Andrews Episcopal 5:45 Thurs: Practice 3:15-5:00 Fri: vs. Los Gatos Christian @ Campbell Christian 4:45
January Open House On Saturday, January 24, we are hosting our second Open House event of the year. That gives all of our school families over month and a half to invite friends to come and learn about the outstanding experiences we have to offer. We want you to share your story of outstanding Christian education and irresistible Christian community that’s happening here at SJCS. When you tell your friends, invite them to our Open House event Saturday, January 24 from 10am-1pm. The new semester may be a time that families are looking to make a change for their children, and if you refer someone who comes to SJCS, you will receive a reward of $500 Tiger Bucks.
Do you love SJCS? Are you equipped to tell your SJCS story? Would you take a 30 minute training session?
January starts our Parent “Word of Mouth” Training Sessions The first three Tuesdays in January, SJCS will be training parents on how to tell their SJCS story and how to invite families to SJCS. This is a critical piece in growing our enrollment. Sessions will be held in the Auditorium. RSVP for your session by emailing bphillips@sjchristian.org. This is going to be your best 30 minutes of training ever! Tuesday, January 6 | 2:30pm or 5:30pm Tuesday, January 13 | 2:30pm or 5:30pm Tuesday, January 20 | 2:30pm or 5:30pm