—_ ay ' PROVINCIAL. LTRRARY ‘ . - . _ THE HERS LD, Manday May 30, 1977 PAGE 3 latte stataSePetetat st ectatatabate® tg, PPP bl tt tated attcd states aatstete ereatatel lalatatete: CIESTIES Sia, pl CHRISTIAN H00; i CENTENNIAL SCHOOL -- 966 1967 - Christian basics as guiding light ~ bo La ee Fr atatereraTeoroTeloreleTeteten avatata a ara"a'a'a's sees sea etstatatetatataereneatetont stetal os a enone Nn aa aS a i ea anne Seah SRW RRR SON a ee Nea antes e he ea ena NOR A A : Ls 6 s . Li i} i, L? ¥, : : + * ; « Ps ®, : ®, ; ; * : : 6, 4, : : : bi An independent school in’ Terrace is offering an alternative to parents and children in the way of elementary and primary education, and they want people to know about it, The Christain Centennial teaching from “the Christian perspective’ for all Protestant denominations. ; The biggest problem the school has is getting across the message that Its teaching is not based upon Christian Reformed principles, but on Protestant Christian principles. “These are beliefs common fo all Christians,” says Hilda Taistra, “‘to Anglicans, Baptists, Evangelicals,” The day starts and ends with prayer for all students. Younger children are given a half hour each day of Bible stories, and older students some church history. “The stories are just Bible stories, not doc- trine,’ Hlida Talstra told the Herald. _ The school alms at training the student to become ‘’...a responsible Canadian who takes a ‘deep interest in the needs of others. We desire to - help the students learn how to five life rather than merely make a living.” There is an. outline, of the school’s aims and. principles. Any parent who enrolls his child should read and accept the outline. The beliefs of the school, which a parent should also examine, read: “That all things have been created. to the end that the triune God may be glorified; that God has appointed the parent to be responsible for the training of the child to the end that God shall be central in life’s total ex- perlence.” The parent who considers the option of an independent school must also look at other, practical aspects. The cost of sending a child to an independent school is certainly. one. The tuition at the Christian Reformed school was $120.00 a month this year. For a parent who truly wants his or her child to have a Christian education, but who cannot bear the entire costs alone, there Is a society of supporting members who will help with the tuition, . The society consisits of persons who believe Strongly in the concept of Christian education, and who pay 4 membership fee that helps sup- port the school. You don’t have to have chiidren In schoo! to belong to the society; all you need is a concern In education in the Christian principles. What about the students themselves? No one would want their child attending a school that did not offer the fullest benefits of education. Hilda Talstra explained thai all the teachers in the school hold 6.C. teaching licenses. They have the personal option available to them of befonging to the 8.C.T.F. or to other ‘teaching unions. Students who complete grade seven and enter the public high school system in Terrace are “given full credit for the grades they acheived in the Christian Reform school. They are given the additional help of being “’...generally recognised as good students,” in more than marks; study havits and students behaviour are important in high school grades as well, Talstra sald. ‘Currently, teacher Laura Weesies is using the Spalding ‘reading road to writing’’ method in her classes. She has had very good results, with a few students in grade 2 now reading at the grade 5 level, and many reading at the grade three level. “This doesn't mean we have bright students,” says Talstra. *’‘We have a share of those who have a harder time, just like the other schools.” School offers . -board of trustees at the school has good relations ‘with the district School Board. ~ . Organizers hope many people will take the time -in seeing what goes on in the classes is welcome. intermediate and primary classes enjoyed a pleasant Grades 1 to 7 are taught in the three-room school. There are three teachers who take the class load. Grades 1 and 2 are taught by one teacher, grades 3 and 4 by another, and grades 6 and 7 by the third. Grade fives are taught by two of the teachers for different parts of the day and tor different subjects. The division of classes. and teaching load depends on the number of children enrolled in a grade in any given year. The shcool classrooms adjoin the church building itself. At the time it was built, 1967, this was a way to save costs. The labor on the building was volunteer. ° The arrangement works out well, with the school using the washroom facilities and sharing a hallway with the church. The church also benefits from the use of classroom space when neccessary for holding meetings. Students are invited to all the Inter-school sports events by the schools in the area, and the The extra that the school provides of course, is the Christian perspéctive in education. The school is holding an open house on June 15 to let people see the classes in operation. to drop in to the school during the day, or to talk with the feachers. and trustees during the evening. They wili be in the building from 7 to 9 that night. Anyone who is concerned or simply interested “People dan‘t need to be thinking of séndirig their children,’ says Talstra, ‘we'd just like them to come by.” It is important to the people running the school that any misconceptions the community has about It be cleared up. “We're interdenominational in name,” said Hilda, “‘byt we haven‘t had much support from the Christian community. | think that’s really because they don’t know about the school. We are not just for Christian Reformed students.” . ° §tory. by Brian Gregg and Joanne Ames. oe DANDELION SEEDS IN THE WIND .- Chiidren of the ee oe PUBLICITY CHAIRMAN Hilda Talstra says the school tries to teach student noon- hour outdoors Friday during the warm weather. Le / fo take a “deep = interest in the needs of others,” : FAREWELL PARTY -Some of Darlene Bronsema, Caroline de .. ° . ; 7 the students at the party were Jong and Dianne Mantel, The . ' @ = “ (left to right) Ronny Mantel, party was for Caroline. . PRIMARY STORYHOUR - Greta Goodwin, the schopl's grades 1 and 2 teacher, reads her pupils astory o,9.0.8- 2. rat taP atte tte ate 7, as Sere ese eloleecateZatete iatebtelti eigieeterarer satan atars! rar aaa Ra R ARERR ASAE RCRA SE eee eR RAR UST ene he he RESET LSTA DE HT OT be “atatete tata at atatata taste aan BTS OF ETE TER EHO CT Oe 8 Oc ymre wml eeocwlaba mewte! Teel lataty al Tetele Te at ae a aGana yee ements