December 2015 Christmas 2015 In this Newsletter…

Comforting. That’s what  Sex Ed Resource Website Now Up Christmas traditions are, and Running especially to us old guys. And  News from ACSI Western Canada remarkably, even in 2015,  Class Dojo Christmas carols, manger scenes and  Haiti Update once a year church attendance still are  Twelve Ontario and Maritime Christian Schools Raise $2.44 Million components of a Canadian Christmas in 15 Months tradition. For a few weeks annually,  Principal’s Take: Residential Christ truly is preached at least in songs Schools’ Abuse Continues and images. Grinch-like attempts to  New Resource from CTC for obliterate those things have been mostly Immediate Online Student Assessment unsuccessful even though our society is  Overall Enrollment Growth for ACSI becoming increasingly secular and anti- Eastern Canada Elementary & Christian. Maybe that has a lot to do with Secondary Schools  Disturbing Decline in Eastern the December boosts to business bottom Canada College and University lines thanks to Christmas sales. I like Enrollment Paul’s attitude about that sort of thing:  Learning From the Aussies and Others “ But what does it matter? The  Welcome to Transition 101 important thing is that in every way,  Mark Twain and Sam Clemens whether from false motives or true, Spotlight and Shadow Christ is preached. And because of  Trinity Western University Law this I rejoice.” (Phil 1:15-18). School Wins at BC Supreme Court!  Staff in ACSI Member Schools SAVE Through Johnson Insurance Rejoice? He was in prison.  ACSI’S First Drama Festival  World Concerns Days Rejoice, even when Canadian believers  Regional Calendar are marginalized or hated for our  Quotes commitment to the traditional biblical  Unsubscribe family structure?  Feedback  Contact Us Rejoice, when our beliefs are publically derided and mocked? Sex Ed Resource Website Now Up and Running Rejoice, when Billy Graham warns that You may recall that last summer we North American Christians are about to organized a meeting with Christian education face serious persecution? organizations including home schoolers to help provide resources for biblically based Yup! sex education. At long last we have a site up and running! In it you will find articles and To my father’s generation, every Canadian was a Christian, unless he links to resource organizations: was Jewish. The trappings of Christianitysexedresourcesforchristians.com were there. So were the ubiquitous moral standards—the Judeo-Christian Thanks to contributors and to Joyce Baker for ethic they called it. But that was a all her work on it. If you have any ideas for cultural designation, not a statement of additions or corrections please contact our genuine faith. Thirty-eight years ago, office: [email protected]. when I entered Christian school Top leadership, our society was living in the afterglow, the last fading rays of News from ACSI Western Canadian Judeo Christian values. It was Canada a reasonably comfortable time back ACSI WC Director Phil Hills remains then. amazingly hopeful in spite of the changing cultural values, political decisions and But the future for Canadian Christian economic challenges facing his region. He schools these days is uncertain to put it reports, “After a number of very stable and mildly. How long will the thought leaders quiet years in Western Canada, ACSIWC has in this country allow us, a shrinking come up against some very fierce cultural, minority of what they consider to be political and economic headwinds. One of our homophobic bigots to teach our ‘warped principals put it succinctly when he told me at values’ to innocent children? It’s a great an emergency meeting last spring, “the wind day for discouragement and suddenly reversed itself and is blowing hopelessness if you like that sort of against us now”. The unparalleled support we thing. We can be pretty sure Canadian have enjoyed for years from governments Christian schools are in for major and the general public is rapidly eroding. challenges and soon, things that we Some of our schools have been viciously haven’t faced before, things that might attacked in the press for holding biblical even try to shut us down. And believe it family values (we are even being attacked for or not that may be good for two reasons. insisting that teachers in our schools abstain from both sex before marriage and adultery). It shows we’re a genuine threat to When stories like this appear in the press, socially crippling false values that are many write in to condemn the perceived being so frantically promoted in hateful and closed-minded nature of government and the media. Mahatma Christians. Some who previously supported Gandhi stood firm in his moral us have distanced themselves from us so as convictions and overcame the largest not to have their reputations maligned by empire the world has ever known. association with us.” Top “First I was ignored, then I was laughed at, then I was hated, then I won.” That ClassDojo just might be our experience too. Susie Hope and April Dekkema did a seminar at the Ontario convention on “Class Dojo”. The Lord makes a way in the wilderness,We asked Susie to give a brief description of this valuable tool for teachers. Here is the even in the wilderness of 21st century Canada’s secular society and coercive explanation: “Class Dojo is an app or website. educational systems: “See, I am doing Teachers set up their class then send out an a new thing! Now it springs up; do invitation to the parents. Parents receive a you not perceive it? I am making a code to set up their own account and can way in the wilderness and streams in only see their child. You can use it as an the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19 incentive program (awarding points for good or negative behaviours) You can also share pictures with the parents in the class story So, for believers, hopelessness itself is a section. My parents LOVE it.” Susie Hope, lost cause, especially at Christmas! Grade 3, Stouffville Christian School. Top “Forego for a little, the pleasures of pessimism. Dream for one mad Haiti Update moment that the grass is green. Project Hope for Haiti—Student/Teacher Unlearn that sinister learning that you Gift Bags—As of November 2015, a total of think so clear; deny that deadly 3811 gift bags for students and teachers have knowledge that you think you know. been sent to Haiti by various schools and Surrender the very flower of your churches since 2004. That means that culture; give up the very jewel of your approximately 300 gift bags have been pride; abandon hopelessness all ye donated each year. In addition to this many who enter here!” G. K. Chesterton children have received a New Testament and hundreds of French library books have been He was talking about the Kingdom of sent to Christian schools in Haiti. God!! WE NEED YOUR HELP WITH OUR Merry Christmas from NEWEST PROJECT!!! BE A PART OF Ginny, Joyce, Stephanie, and TRANSFORMING CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Mark IN HAITI! Go to: gofundme.com/59cyzbk4 Twelve Ontario and Maritime Christian Schools Raise $2.44 Million in 15 Months And They’re Just Getting Started! After just 15 months, the schools participating in the ACSI/Advisors With ACSI Eastern Canada’s newest project has Purpose partnership have helped been to establish an ACSI Office in Haiti parents, grandparents and other with Haitian Leadership - In January, 2013 supporters direct $2.44 million in we established an this office in the town of Fermathe with Pastor Solect Jean Baptiste as legacies to Christian charities (including our first National Director. Because of our to the schools themselves) and away scant financial resources which are from Revenue Canada. Without our completely dependent upon donations, we partnership most of that money wouldwere only able to hire Pastor Solect on a 20% have gone to estate taxes. Here’s why: time basis. That’s not enough time to address the remarkable opportunities in that country 1. Money in RRSPs or RRIFs is treated adequately. Our financial commitment to the as earned income in the year a Haiti office started with $18,000 U.S. the first person dies. So if someone in the year decreasing by 20% annually so that the 50% tax bracket has $100,000 in office could be self-sustaining in 2019. RRSPs or RRIFs, upon his death Recently that has been made more difficult $50,000 of that money will go to Rev for us by the 25% drop in value of the Canada, not to his heirs! Canadian dollar since 2013. So now we need 2. Stocks, bonds, mutual funds and to raise 25% more to meet our commitment. recreational properties trigger after death taxes as well. Here again Connie Mycroft has invested a great deal of Revenue Canada will take a her time in Haiti on behalf of ACSI. Here is substantial windfall from an estate what she says about the project: “I unless an adjustment is made to a understand that there is a need to raise funds person’s will. And that is what in support of the new ACSI office which has been established in Haiti and for which Advisors With Purpose does! Eastern Canada is financially responsible. I’d just like folks to know, in the 10 years during So the ACSI/Advisors agreement is a which I spent much time in Haiti both with significant financial benefit to: ACSI and the now established Master’s programs for Christian education in the a) Christian parents, grandparents, country, that this venture is very important to friends of the school and their heirs the country. There is a deep hunger among because it maximizes estate income Haitian educators for knowledge and the for families while minimizing estate tools to transform their particular corner of taxes. service. And since ACSI has managed to b) Christian charities including pretty much blanket the nation with participating schools because it conferences, and now with a very excellent directs substantial amounts of legacy Haitian as the new leader, I have been money to them! personally thrilled with what is happening. And if folks do not already know, Dr. Steve If you would like more information about Sider has been working with Christian participating in the ACSI/Advisors educators in the north of Haiti and has agreement, please contact the ACSI established a wonderful doctoral programme Eastern Canada office: into which many of the Master’s graduates [email protected]. are/ have entered. The country is changing Top and these opportunities are great.” Connie Request: Please donate to help us keep Overall Enrollment our financial commitment despite the drop Growth for ACSI in value of the Canadian dollar. To help, go to: www.gofundme.com/59cyzbk4 Eastern Canada Elementary Top and High Schools This year enrollment grew in 30 of our 50PRINCIPAL’S TAKE: Residential member elementary and high schools by Schools’ Abuse Continues by Trevor 266, an average increase of 8.9 studentsLong, Fellowship Christian School per school. Nineteen schools saw their The mainstream media’s recent focus on the evils of enrollments decline by 139, an average Canada’s Residential Schools in which First Nations’ decrease for them of 7.3 students per youth left their families from 1876 to 1996 to be educated in Roman Catholic, Anglican, and United school. Enrollment in 1 school remained Churches of Canada boarding schools got me thinking unchanged from last year. about the ‘Residential Schooling’ of today. Thinking they were doing the right thing, the purpose of our For the first time in several years, no government’s Residential Schools was to remove schools closed at the end of the previouschildren from the influence of their family, values, and school year and we welcomed a new culture, and assimilate them into the dominate Canadian culture, (very Borg like) and as a result 30 % member, Innova Academy in of native children, roughly 150,000 were placed in Newmarket. Overall elementary and highResidential Schools, with the hopes of making them school enrollment in ACSI member more productive citizens. At first, many First schools is up 175 students from last yearNation parents agreed, never anticipating the (5891 students in 2014/15, 6057 resultant harm that many of their children would experience. What happened was that Residential students this year). School staff often denigrated the Aboriginal spiritual traditions and the culture of these students who were The greatest enrollment growth came in isolated from their homes. Tragically at the hands of Ontario schools, no doubt partially a teachers, staff and fellow students, First Nation’s reaction to the Ministry of Education’s children were physically and sexually abused. The new sex ed curriculum for public horrible long term fallout of this abuse occurring in our first Residential Schools left approximately 86,000 schools. It is significant to note that survivors who were paid out almost 2 billion dollars in although most Ontario Christian schools compensation. grew, very few new ones opened. In Our current government hasn’t learned this painful contrast something like 10 new Islamic lesson of history. The government’s ‘Residential schools opened this year. Schools’ of today have continued to remove children from the influence of their parents, and their cultural and religious beliefs. They currently do this first by There are 5154 students in 41 Ontario providing subsidized early childcare, then all day five member schools: 26 schools grew by day a week Jr. and Sr. Kindergarten, followed by an all- 233 students, 14 declined by 98 encompassing secular, humanistic elementary and students, 1 remained unchanged, 1 new secondary education. As tragic, evil and deplorable as member. the abuses were which occurred in Canada’s first In the Maritimes there are 912 students, Residential Schools, they will pale in comparison to the abuses occurring in today’s government schools. 4 schools grew by a total of 30 students, Today’s children from diverse cultural and religious 5 declined by 41. heritages are systematically almost from birth Top indoctrinated in the dominate Canadian culture. As we are just finishing paying almost 2 billion dollars in Learning From the Aussies compensation for past abuses, what will be the cost for the spiritual, cultural, and emotional abuses and Others by Mark Kennedy occurring today? When will our government recognize It’s gratifying to see Christian schools that its current break the surly bonds of mediocrity that assimilation policy is just as harmful as the mark provincial government curriculum assimilation policies of the past? As the dominate ruling culture rarely thinks of the evils of imposing its guidelines. Christian schools in the beliefs on others, I am glad God gave the education of Maritimes seem to be especially good at children as the responsibility of their parents not the that – rising above prosaic provincial state. “And ye fathers, provoke not your children to standards, in order to research and wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and develop new and more effective teachingadmonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Top methods and create better courses. Disturbing Decline in Eastern Take Munro Academy near Sydney, Canada College and University Nova Scotia for example. In 2013 this relatively new Christian school with a Enrollment total of 31 students from SK to grade 12 There was a troubling enrollment decline in developed a practical, innovative all Eastern Canada’s ACSI member colleges programme in alternate energy studies. and universities. Student numbers at Tyndale, The result: a Munro student applied for Redeemer and Kingswood went down by and won the prestigious Abu Dhabi more than 10% this year over last (140 based international Zayed Future Energystudents), the largest drop since we’ve been Award. He along with his family and keeping these statistics. Why? Clearly it’s not teacher were flown to the United Arab a problem with one university or with one part Emirate to receive it and Munro of our region. More likely it reflects the Academy was awarded $100,000 U.S. decline and secularization of the broader Canadian evangelical Christian community. If Then there’s Grace Christian School in our churches aren’t teaching a Christian Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (a worldview that applies to all areas of life province with a total population of including education, then congregation 135,000). members aren’t likely to value the distinctive Jason Biech and his teachers provide of a Christian education at any level. about 135 students from SK to Grade 12 Top with an education second to none. Welcome to Transition 101 Despite limited finances, the Grace staff uses the most effective, up to date Transition 101 is a collaborative event hosted teaching methods and educational tools by Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, Power to achieve their goals. And they’re to Change, Ambassadors for Christ and the committed to upgrading staff skills and Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec. qualifications while enhancing the We believe it is vital to connect graduating Christian distinctives of the school. The high school students going to college or plan for future academic changes is university with a local faith community, both astounding. People have noticed. Take a on campus and in a church. look at the link to the article about Grace in the Charlottetown Guardian: Event for high school graduates www.acsiec.org/eNLs/2015- transitioning to post-secondary education, 16/NovDec2015/Sci%20Tech%20GCS- Saturday, May 28, 2016, Toronto 15.pdf. www.transition101.ca Anton Lim: 705.984.2791 That brings us to Halifax Christian [email protected] Academy, a school that 25 years ago Top occupied the basement of a small church and had classrooms the size of modest Mark Twain and Sam Clemens cloakrooms. Then the Lord began to Spotlight and change things. With almost no seed money they purchased two empty public Shadow school buildings – one for a dollar- and “OH DAD!!” my daughter HCA has been advancing God’s scolded, “Don’t say that educational kingdom in the Maritimes in front of your ever since. Today it serves 160 students grandchildren!!!!” from Preschool to Grade 12. Last summer Principal Jessica Wilson and It seemed I had strayed into the some of her senior teachers visited Grandfather’s Verbal Blunder Zone while leading Christian schools in Australia regaling 8 year old Kiera and 5 year old Levi and New Zealand to learn about their with tales of ‘the good old days’. But, for the innovative – no, transformational life of me, I couldn’t figure out how I got there. academic programmes. Those programmes are so remarkable and “Why, what did I say?” I asked in vaguely successful that public schools and guilty mystification. secular private schools from around the world look to them for guidance! A few “In the story you were telling, you said the months ago Jessica and her staff began lady was ‘F-A-T’,” she spelled it slowly as if introducing some of those programmes addressing a dim-witted primary school at HCA. She will be sharing all about student. them at our Ontario Teachers’ Convention next fall and in the meantime“But she was F-A-T,” I protested somewhat I’ll report on their progress in an weakly, “I have a picture of her in my mind upcoming newsletter. and she takes up most of the frame!”

It’s truly gratifying to see the boldness “You know what I mean. We don’t want your and initiative of these schools, and grandchildren to use that word.” others. Canadian Christian schools can be a lot more than just imitators of public “Oh, oh, I see.” I said, (not really seeing). schools, basically following public school curriculum and offering somewhat better Apparently in these hypersensitive days, discipline along with Bible classes. We nobody except the worst kinds of criminals, can explore and initiate new educational disreputable Hollywood celebrities, and other programmes that other schools of all barbarians say the word ‘fat’ for fear of types will want to emulate. making frail people swoon and little children Top run away covering their wee ears. Trinity Western University “Would the expression ‘bountifully blessed with blubber’ be more appropriate?” I chose Law School Wins at BC not to say for fear of being sent to the corner Supreme Court! for a ‘time out’.

Chastised, that’s what I was - for inappropriate language no less. And it wasn’t Court Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson my first offense. I’d once asked a Toys R Us delivered a very strongly worded 43 saleslady for a playpen for my grandson page rebuke to the British Columbia Law Gideon. Society for denying TWU law grads the right to practice law in that province “It’s not a play pen,” she corrected sternly, merely because TWU has a code of “it’s a play yard!” moral behaviour for its staff and students. He noted that the Law Society “Ah, I see,” I replied with impressive grace infringed upon the school's freedom of and suavity, “I guess no mother wants to religion and violated proper protocol by admit that her toddler spent time in the pen!” allowing member lawyers to dictate the decision. ‘Spent time in the pen!’- a pretty good joke it seemed to me. On top of that he said that the Law Society denied TWU the opportunity to She didn’t laugh. fully and fairly present its case during their deliberations. Later I gave a fair bit of thought to ‘inappropriate’ expressions and the people who use them. At least I "Even if I am wrong, and the benchers was in good company—specifically Mark Twain’s had the authority to delegate the company. decision to the members, I find that the decision was made without proper Twain had a habit of using language that upset the consideration and balancing of the censoriously minded. His most important novel, charter rights at issue, and therefore Huckleberry Finn, so offended people with its cannot stand." vocabulary, its message and one of its illustrations (in an early draft, there seemed to be a rude picture of This decision leaves Ontario as the only ‘Uncle Silas’) that it had to be first published outside Canadian province whose Supreme the U.S. In 1885 the first American edition was Court legalized anti-religious persecution banned by several libraries. Early critics said it was by its law society. Are we surprised. crude. According to the Boston Transcript: Read more… This is a definite but temporary win for Top Christian education at all levels. The finalWorld Concerns Days decision will come when this case or the Ontario one goes to the Supreme Court MARITIMES of Canada. We had a wonderful World Concerns Day at Top Kingswood University! AXIS provided the plenary session for about 150 middle and Staff in ACSI Member high school students and about 175 Kingwood Students. They helped set the Schools SAVE Through stage for addressing the problem of evil. The Johnson Insurance theme was poverty and a number of local Our preferred insurance provider, Johnson speakers led workshops on poverty Insurance, is pleased to offer staff in ACSI throughout the Maritimes. The middle school member schools savings that could amount to students had break-out sessions on the 40% or more on auto insurance Read more… Sussex Christian School campus and the Top high school break-out sessions were held at Kingswood. The closing session with Cory ACSI’S First Drama Festival Dorion was an amazing call to action for the WESTMINSTER CLASSICAL students. The ACSI students had the option CHRISTIAN ACADEMY DRAMA to continue on to KU for the weekend of TROUP Encounter (Kingwood offered our students a cut rate for this). Also with an additional assignment, Grade 12 students can earn a university credit for this event.

ONTARIO Thanks to Brampton Christian School for hosting our 2015 Ontario World Concerns Day. We had a record breaking attendance this year, 468 students from ten different schools. Eleven mission organizations set up Five schools participated in our first exhibit booths. Students were blessed to Drama Festival which featured one-act hear such tremendous speakers as Tim plays of 25 minutes or less performed by Barnett of Stand to Reason and Jon Ward students from grade 5-12. . What a treat from Word of Life Bible Institute. Make sure to watch the students perform! Plays your grade 7-12 students do not miss out included “Gatecrashers”, “Through the next year! The date is Thursday, October Looking Glass”, “Cheating Death”, “Mice 13, 2016. Mark your school calendar! and the Manger” and “The Happy Top Prince”. Westminster Classical C.A. was New Resource awarded the Outstanding Theatrical Performance Award and eight students from CTC for received honorable mentions and a Immediate Online Student certificate for excellence in acting. We Assessment by David Galati, CTC had three very qualified adjudicators The web-based tool called ezclasstest is a officiate at the event. Here is what one system of online curriculum-based classroom of them had to say: assessments. With it teachers can assess their students as often as they like throughout “Congratulations on a successful drama the school year. The teacher just has to festival today. It was a well-organized decide when to administer tests for specific and streamlined event that ran very expectations. The ezclasstest system makes smoothly. We were well prepared for our it easy to frequently administer short role. It seemed like all participants evaluations. The students take the tests involved knew their task and their online using a computer or tablet and the schedule. tests are scored automatically.

Ellen Stanley and I were both impressed Whenever a teacher requests score reports, with the wonderful students in the he/she receives information about the festival and those in the audience as individual student level and the class level well. Everyone took on their roles in a too. The reports are diagnostic, providing professional and respectful manner. detailed information about a student’s There were some great moments of mastery of specific expectations as well as production and acting. We hope that you overall expectations. This detailed information continue to hold these festivals in the in reference to specific curriculum future to encourage participation and expectations makes it easy for a teacher to interest in the arts. use the score reports to inform instruction.

The grade 3 Ontario Mathematics and Thank you for including grade 6 Ontario Mathematics components us. Congratulations! Well done.” Robert of ezclasstest will be available starting Attrell, Retired Teachers and Arts August 2017. Department Head in Halton Top

If your school would like to participate next year please contact our office as soon as possible. We have to know well in advance how many schools to expect so that we can properly plan the event. Firm commitments must be made by September 1, 2016. Top “Beware of posing as a profound person; God became a Baby.” Oswald Chambers

“It is impossible to separate one’s view of God, man, truth, knowledge and ethics from the educational process. Every day that our children sit behind a desk, they are either being taught to know, love and obey God or they are being taught to love and obey someone or something that has usurped God’s proper role.” Voddie Baucham Jr.

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself! Therefore all progress depends upon the unreasonable man.” George Bernard Shaw Top Click Here Upcoming Eastern Canada Regional Events Click Here Unsubscribe We hope that this newsletter is a valuable source of information for you and your school. However, if you would like to be removed from the email list, please contact the regional office at 705-728-7344, or reply to this e-mail and request to have your email address removed from the list. Top Your Feedback is Important to Us! We welcome your feedback concerning this newsletter or any of the information in this newsletter. Please contact us with questions, comments, or suggestions by sending an email to [email protected]. Thank you for the opportunity to serve your school. Top Association of Christian Schools International Eastern Canada Region 1 Wenden Court, Minesing, ON L0L 1Y2 P: 705.728.7344 F: 705.728.4401 E: [email protected] Visit us on the web at www.acsiec.org Top