Six students in first qrad class

Centennia

By JENNIFER LANG
JUNE 2002 will mark the
beginning of a new chapter
for Centennial Christian
School.

For the first time in the
school’s 34-year histary,
staff and students will be
organizing graduation cer-
emonies for.a Grade 12
class.

A year after the inde-
pendent. Christian school
launched Grade 11, Cen-
tennial welcomed its first
Grade. 12 students this
September, school princi-
pal Frank Vocgd said.

“You have to do it to-
gether,” said Voogd, who

‘temporarily stepped down
- from his job as principal
last. year to oversee the

development of Grade 12.

The two grades were of-
‘fered in tandem because of
graduation requirements at
the senior levels.

‘Centennial Christian
School opened in 1967 at
the Terrace Christian Re-
formed. Church with
Grades 1 through 6. Grade
7-came later, as did kin-
‘dergarten ‘and Grades 8
through 10.

_ The schoal moved toa its
present Sparks Ave. site in
1989; the same year three
students who are now in
Grade 12> at Centennial
enrolled in kindergarten.
~ Moogd said Centennial
has: been able to offer the
two senior grades without
‘constructing a new build-
ing or expanding the num-

- ber of existing classrooms,

Tuition — $4,000 a year
per family - is only used
to pay for operating costs
not covered by the mini-
" stry, of education and helps
Support a tuition fund,
Moogd said.

“Group One independent
‘schools like Centennial
Christian receive per capi-
ta grants from the ministry,
but they're 50 per cent less
than’ what public schools
receive,
“That means the school
has, a. current anrital

soe

| adds Grade 12

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, October 3, 2001 - A3

THAT'S CENTENNIAL Christian Schoo! prinicpal Frank Voogd with three
ever Grade 12 class. And they are Justin Voogd, Rayna Braam and Jodi Braam.

students from the school’s first-

operating budget of about
$1.2 million, but if it wants
to launch a capital project,
it has to raise the money
itself. :
The society that admin-
isters the school remains
actively raising money for
a high school. It owns a
vacant property at the
north end of Eby St. across
from Parkside Elementary.

When Centennial out-
grows its current facility,
the school society will
build a high school there.

“Tt will be driven a lot
by student numbers,”
Voogd said. “We will
move to provide the
space.”

Offering a full educa-

tional program from a
Christian perspective for

kindergarten to Grade 12

was the goal “right from

"the start”, Voogd said.
‘''™ Infact, the “school’s

proponents have always
planned far ahead.

Voogd pointed out the
schoo! society formed 10
years before opening a
school in 1967 — Canada’s
centennial year.

Meanwhile, the current
school year is in full
swing.

Smailer class sizes at
the senior levels — there
are seven students in
Grade 11 and six in Grade
12 — means the students
have helped determine
which courses are offered.

“We tried to talk with
our students to lo see what
direction they'd like to go
in,” he said.

This year’s science of-
fering, for example, is
chemistry 11 and 12.

Voogd said that could
change from year to year.

Existing classroom
space is a determining

factor, too: senior students
want to take mechanics
course this year, an option
Voogd said could see the
school using shop space
elsewhere in Terrace,

©f course, smaller clas-
ses also have their advant-
age; last year's Grade IIs
were able to take guided
school trips to the Queen
Charlotte Islands and the
Kitlope Valley.

"It’s mot a church
school,” Voogd said. “It’s
a parent-run school.”

The school incorporates

Christian values in a
classroom setting by bring-
ing the Christian perspec-
tive into all areas of study.

“We have a pretty good
unity of purpose,” Voogd
said, adding the school
tries to prepare students for
life as members of the
communily.

“We're not trying to

hide or protect our kids
frem the secular world,
We're trying to encourage
them and connect them.”

Over the years, Centen-
nial’s student population
has kept pace with the
growth of the school.

_ As of 1986, three years
before the school moved
into its present location on
Sparks St., Centennial had
about 80 students,

The school population
peaked about five years
ago at close to 240.

Now, there’s about 225
students in kindergarten to
Grade (2,

Despite the growth of
independent schools in
B.C. over the last decade,
Centennial is not immune
to the decline in enrol-
ments that this district's
public schools are seeing,

“We're affected'in the
same ways,” Voogd said.

News In Brief

Pitbulls destroyed after
attacks in Dutch Valley

TWO PITBULLs are dead after they attacked fa-
mily pets and a harse at two homes in the Dutch
Valley area north of Terrace Sept. 24.

Local RCMP said the two dogs were first spotted
when they attacked a family dog al a residence in
Dutch Valley. The owner drove the dogs off with a
shovel, said police. The dogs then started chasing
a horse in an adjacent field before fleeing into the
bush. Laler, the dogs entered an enclosed: pen at
another nearby residence, ‘attacking and killing a
large family dog there, said police.

“One of the dogs went back to the first residence
and the owner there saw the dog and shot it,” said
investigating officer Cst. Brendan McKenna.

The other dog was captured at the second home
and later destroyed,

The owner of the two dogs is believed to have
left the Duteh Valley area with no forwarding ad-
dress, leaving them behind, McKenna said.

Police are looking for a Terrace area man for
questioning in relation to these events.

Joseph on track

A 62-YEAR-OLD residential school survivor who's
on a walk-a-thon arrived in Vanderhoof Sept. 28,
two days ahead of schedule.

Martha Joseph, a Hazelton woman who’s walk-
ing from Prince Rupert ta Prince George to high-
light her cause, slill has another 95km to go on her
journey.

The Port Alberni Residential School plaintiff
hopes to raise enough money to appeal a court de-
cision that ruled her case was too old to process.
She hopes to reach Prince George Oct. 6, after a
37-day journey.

Two males sought

TERRACE Crimestoppers are asking for the pub-
lic’s assistance in solving an attempted break and
enter to a residence on south Eby St. Sept. 26.

Just before 1 a.m. a resident woke up to someone
trying lo enter his residence through a basement
window, police said.

He discovered two males trying to slide apen the
basement window. They fled the scene afler being
discovered, police said.

Two red backpacks, a red and black jacket along
with one blue mountain bike and one black moun-
tain bike were found nearby.

Police believe they belonged to the suspects.

If you have information regarding this or any
other similar incident please contact Terrace Cri-
mestoppers at 635-8477,

On the road again

THE JOB as chairman of the Liberal northern can-
cus took Skeena MLA Roger Harris to La Ronge in
northern Saskatchewan last week,

He was acting in place of northern development
minister Rick Thorpe at a gathering of Canadian
politicians responsible for northern issues.

ECT a ee ee NE Eo ey