Live from TDChristian

Another International Block Trip Has Almost Finished

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 02:49:00 +0000

It seems like they left only a week ago, but the International Block Class from TDChristian High School has nearly completed their 8 week trip in the Dominican Republic! This is a credited program where over a dozen senior students opt in for a life changing learning experience like no other.

Teacher Rachael Weening is with them every step of the way. Here is one of her final journals from the trip. You can read about their entire journey at their blog's site...

http://dominicaniblock.blogspot.com/

---------------------

Good day,

We arrived back in Santo Domingo today. As we left the Sabana base there were tearful good-byes which makes my heart happy as it shows that the students had meaningful experiences. Few, if any, students wanted to leave. The group really loved getting to know "the family" in Sabana this time around: Pierre (father), Helena (mother), Rogelia (20), Solomon (18), Juan (16), Evelin (14), Lisa (4) and Noelina (3 months) as well as a family friend, Rosa (I'm guessing 18 but I'm not actually sure). The crew also fully embraced Spanish this time around and the family was most helpful in helping them learn more each day.

Although many, if not all, students enjoyed interacting with various family members, Rebecca and Hannah stand out the most to me. By the end of our 11 days in Sabana, Rebecca and Hannah were calling Pierre "Papi" (daddy) and his children were their hermanos (siblings) because they had created an elaborate plan (on about our third day there) that Rebecca is going to marry Solomon and Hannah is going to marry Juan. Brian, our chaperone, is going to marry Rogelia and Scott, a student from last year, is going to marry Evelin and they're all going to live on a house on the countryside with their cows. Pierre then repeatedly told me that Rebecca and Hannah were his favourite hijas (daughters), so he was clearly in favour of the plan.

Yesterday was the soccer game which was a bit of a grudge match as we had competed twice but had yet to win. The team was promised that whoever scored the first four goals would be prized with a Crachi chocolate bar (worth 15 pesos, about 40 cents Canadian) and that was sheer motivation for some. Derek got three of the four goals. Hannah really wanted a chocolate bar so she got herself on the field and within scoring position. She had a good shot and then Luke decided that he needed to tap it, touched it last on its way to already being a goal and, as such, was credited with scoring. Hannah was not happy :D The coach for the other team also reefed. He was hilarious. He hollered out that there were 55 seconds left and then the next time he hollered it was a minute. I kid you not, those 55 seconds took over ten minutes to complete. At one point the Dominicans scored but Jason and Derek stood their ground and fought for the offside call. We got it and the goal was withdrawn. At the end of a good hour and a half we were deadlocked in a tie.

Part way through the match a boy of about 8 asked if he could play on our team. Eventually we let him and it turned out to be a good decision as he completed stripped the biggest opposition of the ball. What a cutie! When it came time for the shootout he clearly became our first choice. We didn't know his name but we knew that he was wearing a red (rojo) shirt so we all loudly changed "rojo" repeatedly. His shot didn't go in but he sure was special for a half a minute!

We were still deadlocked after 8 shooters apiece; it was getting down to the wire. We took a chance and sent our goalie into the fire to take a shot. As he's preparing to shoot we heard the Dominicans yell, "Jackie Chan!" repeatedly. This Jackie Chan they spoke of is our very own Jason Jung. He fired a beautiful shot that beat their goalie. We erupted in a cheer. But, off to his net he went to try to secure the win. With Jackie Chan-like reflexes, he saved a shot in the lower left corner for the win. We have been redeemed; we beat them once!

Last night was a despendido, a time of honouring the group and the work they completed. Some teachers from the school where we've been working came over. Some of them sang for us, one lead us in a fun song/dance number and then we sang a couple of songs for them. At the end of the evening the principal presented Max with a photo of him and Kina from a good number of years ago. This was a thank you for all the work he's done on their school over the years. It was a neat moment!

Today we worked hard as we started some jobs, finished old jobs and did a massive cleanup. We met most of our goals which excited me. We left the place cleaner than when we got there which is something my mom always drilled into me. Our beds were stripped, sheets brought to the laundry, rooms swept, benches that we sat on to eat were returned to the church, the main area was swept, the storage room was cleaned out and organized, tools and equipment were organized and our rubble was brought to the dump, among other things. A fine day, I must say.

Some of us took public transit home. As we arrived at the base and some entered their rooms we heard "I'm home!" which was fun to hear. We sat down to the treat of a pizza dinner and meandered around the base trying to find our way amidst the 37 folks who are here from a Michigan high school.

Tonight we had circle time with Max where he shared his stories and answered a plethora of questions. He told us why he came to the Dominican and gave some examples on why his work is meaningful. After the Q&A we went around the circle and shared memories/said what we appreciate about Max. Max was sitting in between the McMillan twins so Rachel told a funny Max story, Max skipped his turn to talk and then Lauren spoke about how Max reminded her of her grandfather. Billy was next and said, "Max, don't you want to use this opportunity to say something nice about yourself?" We laughed. Good on you, Billy.

Tomorrow we leave the base at 8 and will head to the orphanage for a third time. In a vote-of-sorts 20 of 21 students wanted to go back to the orphanage with over half of them wanting to go back so badly that they were willing to pay for their own bus or taxi to get there; this group loves the orphanage (not that other groups haven't). We will spend a couple of hours in the orphanage and then head to Jarabacoa to Rancho Baiguate. We will go through our prep stuff on Friday night and head out early on Saturday morning.

People continue to experience random illnesses. Please pray for health and strength so that hopefully all 27 of us (we're still 27 because Shelby is gone but Rod has joined us) can make it to the peak either with our feet or with a mule or a combo of the two!

Making Civics Authentic and Meaningful.

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 15:34:00 +0000

In Grade 10, all students take a half-credit course in Civics (students in our Environmental Block class have Civics incorporated into their program). But how do you make Civics relevant and interesting to students who are too young to vote and who are often disconnected from many of the issues Civics deals with?

You plug them in.

E-block teacher Ben Freeman has developed a great relationship with the organization Civix, who

are committed to getting students excited about civics and turning them into engaged, interested citizens

In December, they visited our school to film our students as they went through the Student Budget Consultation process. We are excited that students from across Canada will see our school in this promo video.

Students being filmed for the Civix promo video.

Here's E-Block student Kamrin Ward writing about her experience learning about civics:

Hi, I am Kamrin; a Grade 10 student. I have always been interested in politics and the social aspects and issues in Vaughan and throughout the world.

In civics class, I have learned so much about voting, political positions, looking at the different levels of government, what’s going on in our country, and so much more. Now, we are starting to learn more about the federal budget by participating in the Student Budget Consultation.

My part of the project is to answer everyone’s questions about the whole program and supervise the survey that will take place during class. I will also review the questions with my class in advance to make sure everyone understands the questions and we’ll discuss their different views. As part of leading my class in the consultation, myself and other classmates are using the videos, PowerPoints and handouts to teach the class and lead small group activities.

Another project that I was responsible for was the Student Vote. I was the deputy returning office and supervised a poll clerk and the scrutineer. The Ontario Municipal Student Vote was a great experience for me because I got to test and work on my organizational skills. I have always wanted to know about how people accomplished the voting process. I thought that being in charge of this project would be the perfect way to gain my knowledge in this topic, so, I took on the challenge.

I have learned so much about civics over these past couple months and I can’t wait to see how I am going to be able to apply it to my everyday life; whether it be during class or after I graduate high school. Having a civics program in school makes me, and other students, feel involved in what is going on in our city, province, or even around the world.

You can watch the finished Civix video filmed with our students here:

What Makes A Difference in Education?

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 18:46:00 +0000

I really enjoy sifting through the latest and greatest in the world of education and educational research and I recently ran across this article published in the New York Times back in August of this year:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/17/opinion/sunday/teaching-is-not-a-business.html?_r=0

The article is entitled: Teaching Is Not A Business

Feel free to read through it if you have a few minutes. It is written by David L. Kirp, who is a leading thinker on educational policy in the United States. He is a professor of education at the University of California, so his context is that of the United States, but similar thinking does filter north of the border as well.

For a short version, here is a quote that nicely summarizes Kirp's thinking in his own words:

"It’s impossible to improve education by doing an end run around inherently complicated and messy human relationships. All youngsters need to believe that they have a stake in the future, a goal worth striving for, if they’re going to make it in school. They need a champion, someone who believes in them, and that’s where teachers enter the picture. The most effective approaches foster bonds of caring between teachers and their students."

In other words, Kirp is summarizing what we, in Christian schools, have known for a long time. When done correctly, the Christian school emphasis on the teacher-student relationship is not just a warm fuzzy feeling that happens to live in our schools. This relationship actually makes a huge learning difference. This is some of the basis behind TD's emphasis to ENFOLD students first (and then ENGAGE and then EMPOWER). We don't always get this right, but I happen to think TD is a pretty supportive community and at the heart of that are the student-teacher relationships that pervade this place (see photo above: David Robinson and our Robotics Team).

In this Christmas season, we at TD wish you and your family a blessed time together while we reflect on the birth of our Saviour. As we look toward 2015 and beyond, we want to continue to commit to love, support and serve our students and families as we collectively seek to 'learn for service in the light of God's word'.

By: Tim Bentum (on behalf of the leadership team at TD)

Silver Medalists!

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 03:43:00 +0000

The TDChristian High School Senior Boys team capped off its season by winning OFSAA 'A' Silver! The Ontario Championships were held at E.S.C. Jean Vanier in Welland from Nov. 19 to 22. The team worked hard, winning its pool (4 matches), followed by straight set wins in the quarter-finals vs. Durham Christian High School and in the semi-finals vs. Quinte Christian High School. The team met their match in the finals vs. Woodland Christian High School, losing 31-29, 25-22 and 25-23.


The team, coached by our principal, William Groot, and a parent, Mike Albert, had a lot of fun and shared in a very good growing and learning experience together.

A number of staff members made the trek to Jean Vanier - Eric Vrieling, Bruce Vrieling, Patty Schuurman, Dan Buisman, as well as Rod and Evelyn Dengerink. Dedicated parents, keen students, and even some alumni were present. Their support was excellent.

A highlight was a comment made by one of the referees to a parent from another team who relayed it to us. The referee commented that he was not a Christian but if being a Christian was like our team, it was impressive.

To watch the match see www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyusJrmJZh0. Results can be accessed at www.ofsaa.on.ca/boys-volleyball.

A FINAL NOTE: On Tuesday, November, 25, Zachery Albert was selected as one of six York Region Boys' Volleyball All-Stars. This is the second year he has been a regional All-Star. Congratulations, Zach!

Remembrance Day 2014 at TDChristian

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 17:21:00 +0000

Recently a bill was introduced to make Remembrance Day a national holiday. If it passes and the students are home on November 11, will TDChristian continue to hold Remembrance activities? I imagine we will.

Yesterday's Remembrance Day assembly was quite the moving experience. At 10:50 a.m., students left their classes and headed to the Commons. A lone bagpiper piped them in as students quietly found their seats.

After an introduction by principal William Groot, the entire room of 500+ students and staff rose to their feet, remaining silent for two minutes as The Last Post was heard on a single trumpet.

We then heard from teacher David Robinson about his grandfather's experiences as a Canadian soldier during World War Two. It was a moving, personal, and hopeful account, with great visuals such as excerpts from his grandfather's army progress reports and more.

David shared how he was most impressed by his grandfather's ability to forgive his enemy, even after seeing so many horrific and evil sights.

Next, history teacher Richard Vanderkloet introduced a video from the Canadian indie music group Hollerado. In it, Hollerado's lead singer, Menno Versteeg, tells the incredible story of his grandfather's experience in World War Two as a member of the Dutch resistance. Captured and facing execution, he met with a German officer who would then save his life. But that's far from the end of the story. I don't want to give it away; you can watch it below. It's worth it.

Finally, Vice Principal Patty Schuurman led prayer. She thanked God for the thousands who sacrificed so much and for peace in a broken world. The students filed out in silence as the piper played Amazing Grace. One truth about high school is that a significant amount of learning actually takes place OUTSIDE of the classroom. There was so much to absorb during this assembly. So much to think about. Perhaps that was one reason why it was so quiet in the audience. Will making Remembrance Day a national holiday mean that more students will go to cenotaphs? Will families stop, stand, and remain silent at 11 A.M. at home? Hopefully. Regardless, we will continue to remember at TDChristian High School.

-Tim Buwalda, Communications Coordinator

Students are piped out to "Amazing Grace"

Share, Learn & Celebrate: Assemblies at TDChristian

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 13:20:00 +0000

Assemblies are important at TDChristian. They take on many forms but the best ones are usually ones like last Friday where a diversity of students shared their talents, thoughts, and experiences through songs, stories, products, and presentations. We listen, we participate, and we celebrate. Learning manifests itself in many ways. “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others (from Romans 12).”

We celebrated the exploits of the Golf and Cross-Country teams - especially the good sportsmanship and camaraderie displayed by our runners - as well as the personal bests and high placings in both sports. Congratulations, Shane Price (Golf), Brock Edwards, and Alexandra Blom (Cross-Country).

Most of the Golf Team

We heard from the Vaughan Film Festival organizers about VFF 2015 (vaughanfilmfestival.com) and noted their encouragement to submit entries. If students don’t enter, they can’t be recognized for their work. In 2014, at least six of our school’s entries were shown on a big screen at Famous Players Colossus Vaughan.

Early Harvest, the Vaughan Public Library’s Arts Contest, unveiled their 2014 winner. TDChristian students won four awards - three firsts by Rebecca Idzerda and a second by Rebecca Smith.

One of Rebecca's winning works

At the recently completed Woodbridge Fair, TDChristian students won ribbons in most of the 14 Art categories, with Meggie Hilborn winning the top prize over all for her painting. It’s pretty cool! Check it out with other winners in the hallway by the Art room.

Meggie with her winning piece

The Praise Band performed a song for us and then led us in 10,000 Reasons. They are searching for a new name and launched a contest to encourage students to make suggestions. The group sounded great; I was impressed by their sound and their enthusiasm.

We connected via the internet to blog posts written by Grade 10 student Jordie Martin, who is serving with her family in the Philippines, in conjunction with Kids International Ministries. Read it at martinsinphilippines.wordpress.com.

Matt Cook, Paul Hong, and Andrew Barton, who went with Mr. Buwalda to Profusion 2014 (www.profusionexpo.com), a digital media show, reported on their adventure.

Paul & Andrew at ProFusion

Writers’ Guild students, Meggie Hilborn and Maryanne McNeish, read their writings. The group meets at lunch from time to time to share the joy and craft of writing.

E-Block gave us a tree planting update and acknowledged Melissa Bruinooge’s efforts and work for writing the successful grant request for the trees. They also promoted the “Canada Without Poverty” event of October 17 (see www.cwp-csp.ca/2014/07/take-to-the-streets-this-october-17-for-chew-on-this). They found out about it through former Board Chair, Mr. Will Postma. Partnerships are great for learning.

The TDChristian Improv Team ended the assembly showing the student body their progress on the journey to February’s improv event.

The Improv Team in action

A good time was had by many, if not all. Assemblies remind us of God’s blessings through people.

-Principal William Groot

Sale Away!

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 16:41:00 +0000

TDChristian's Fall Rummage Sale was this past Saturday, October 18. Organized, coordinated and staffed by our Parent Volunteer Association, it's always a fantastic day for bargain hunters, people looking to enjoy delicious lunches, fresh vegetables or yummy desserts, and anyone who's dreamed of clearing their basement or garage of 25 years of old clothes, furniture, books, toys and more!

Here are a few pics to show you the day. If you were there or donated items, thank you! If you missed it, make sure you come out to the next rummage sale. We know you'll have a wonderful time, and you'll be supporting all kinds of wonderful projects at your school!

Look at all those items! An entire gym full!

John and Silke checking out the produce

Your friendly lunch staff

Desserts Desserts Desserts

You never know what you'll find

Some of the best produce around and at prices you won't believe

Student Leadership Opportunities at TDChristian

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 01:17:00 +0000

AMBASSADORS

Each of TDChristian’s Leadership Team members is engaging a small group of students to grow them as servant leaders in our aim to learn for service in the light of God’s Word. It’s a way to EMPOWER students. We want our students to work actively with others, giving leadership willingly, so that they are a blessing to their communities and they are blessed in the process.

“AMBASSADORS”, mentored by Mr. Tim Bentum (VP Futures & Finance), talk to students and families who are interested in learning about TDChristian. They lead tours and they host students who visit for a day. This group of students from all grades meets weekly to share ways of creating effective bridges between TDChristian and the communities to which it belongs.

EMPOWERERS

“EMPOWERERS” meet with the Principal, Mr. William Groot, to share ideas to improve the learning at TDChristian. This group of students (from all grades) talks about and create plans for a better TDChristian, including reviewing and planning of assemblies.

ENFOLDERS

“ENFOLDERS” are students from all grades who help transition students new to TDChristian into the school community. The group consists of individuals – some who are lively, some who are quiet – who draw others out, who listen well, and who are willing to advocate for and assist others. Mrs. Patty Schuurman, VP of Students & Services, oversees this group.

COACHERS

“COACHERS” are students, from different grades, who set up and run Sports Clinics, for Christian elementary schools. These athletes, under the direction of VP of Students & Athletics, Mr. Matt Heinbuch, develop their coaching and leadership skills while serving others.

Learning on the West Coast (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Thu, 25 Sep 2014 19:45:00 +0000

Ms. Weening, one of TDChristian's teachers, is away from TDChristian until January "learning for service in the light of God's Word." Check for updates on her journey. Today's is the first of four or five entries.

Learning on the West Coast

"It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end." ― Ernest Hemingway

I am privileged to study at Regent College - an "Innovative Graduate School of Theology". Essentially I am at 'grad school' (it sounds so real) working on a Diploma in Christian Studies. I am taking courses that wrestle with how to understand faith and Christ and integrate them into everyday life, regardless of vocation.

Regent is on the magnificently beautiful campus of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. I am living with an Australian family of five (mom is also a Regent student) which is an hour long walk away. I arrived on Labour Day and will be studying until December.

Why am I here? My best answer is, why not? Essentially I am here because various people spoke into my life and I (eventually) listened to them. I was not looking to go to school, in fact, I said repeatedly that I had absolutely no desire to go to grad school. Ever. Enough people spoke into my life in a close enough time span to make me pay attention and listen. As the journey progressed it became abundantly clear that going to Regent was wise. And here I am.

"Learning for service in the light of God's Word."

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 14:29:00 +0000

ENFOLDING, ENGAGING and EMPOWERING STUDENTS in 2014-15

"Learning for service in the light of God's Word" is TDChristian's focus statement. That is our desire for each and every TDChristian High School student. In order to engage and empower our students to learn, we as staff and teachers must also work hard at learning.

This summer, I had the opportunity to complete the VanLunen Fellows Program at Calvin College (www.calvin.edu/vanlunen/index.html) that I began in the summer of 2013. I had the privilege of learning with and under some incredible Christian school leaders across North America. My project focused on Year 51 and Beyond - recalibrating the vision, mission and focus of TDChristian High School. A key component of the work was a 10 minute video made using the talents and abilities of TDChristian students entitled "Enfold, Engage, Empower". You can view it below. It encapsulates what we do at TDChristian High School.



Learning is hard work! This year, we have committed to working hard with our students, many of them your children, so that they may better serve God and others using their talents, abilities, gifts and skills. Let us do so, again, together "for we are co-workers in God's service, you are God's field, God's building." (I Corinthians 3:9)

-Principal William Groot

The Love Movement challenges TDChristian.

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 16:40:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, our school assembly was visited by the Love Movement. As stated on their website, "LM is a movement of God’s people embracing the Great Commandment in order to be equipped to fulfill the Great Commission. When a group or individual registers and commits to doing the Love Movement Take Action Video Series, they are encouraged to write to Love Movement and share how they are taking action in their community to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Participants then have the opportunity to be featured on Love Movement’s television series, Love is Moving."

The Love Movement challenged our students to continue to put their love in action, as well as, "joining the movement."

Here is a video that shows some of the fun that day:

Who's Teaching Whom?

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 03:39:00 +0000

TDChristian's International Block Class has just started their two months of living, learning and serving in the DR. You can follow along with their in depth blog to hear about their experiences (see the link below).

For now, read this February 27 entry from Sierra, one of the TD students, for a taste of what they are experiencing on this trip.

"It’s only been a week here in the Dominican Republic and already I’ve seen so many new things that I could never experience at home. First of all, the people here are so different! It’s so lively and fun here. I walk into the village and there are people everywhere. I sit outside at the base and hear at least 5 different sources of music coming from the stores, streets and houses. Kids are always playing at the base, even when school is out and it’s just us around. The biggest thing that surprises me every time is just how hospitable and considerate the people are. As we walk through the village, they wave and say “hola” with a large smile on their face. Those who know English don’t hesitate to talk with us, and those who don’t will try anyway! I went to a local convenience store to get a Coke and the store owners brought out a stack of chairs for my friends and I to sit on. It just surprised me because it’s not often that that happens in Canada. Sure, it could be that our white, glowing winter skin just screams “Canadian” or, “Americano”, as all the kids say, but I really believe that Dominicans are simply warm hearted people.

On Wednesday I went with Sophia, Zach, Jordan, Don and Rachael to Nueva Creacion to teach, and Compassion to play with the kids. Sophia and I taught 3 classes at Nueva Creacion: one of them we went to twice. That classroom was so much fun, the best one I’ve gone to yet. The kids were about 11-13 and were so intrigued by Sophia and I. they were eager to learn, and quick to help us when we pronounced something wrong or asked them, “cómo se dice?” A few of the kids drew Sophia and I pictures and wrote “te amo!” meaning, “I love you!” My name, Sierra, is way too hard for the kids to say, or even understand. So I decided to go with a nickname of mine, Ce-Ce, which sounds like the Spanish word for yes: “Si.” So my name meant "yes-yes". The class clown decided to call me “No-No” all day.

At noon - 2, school closes for “Siesta”; the two hottest hours of the day. The kids go home and so we ate lunch and then went into the village to explore. We weren't even 5 meters into our walk and kids began to swarm around us. A little boy came up to me and held my hand without even looking up at me for an okay, yet he was practically crying out for love and attention through the way he wouldn’t leave my side. Soon there was a little girl holding onto my other hand, and she too wouldn’t leave my side. After a few minutes, there were about 20 kids walking alongside the 6 of us. The children brought us to a cow field to play a game of baseball with a basketball, a large stick as a bat, and pieces of garbage as bases. These kids know how to have so much fun with so little. We had to climb under a barb wire fence to get there.

In all honesty, at home, the kids would climb through and run ahead to start the game, which is understandable considering their excitement. But once these children climbed through the little hole, a few of them stayed behind to hold the fence to make sure we didn’t snag our clothes. As I crawled through the opening, a little boy gently wiped some dirt and leaves off my pants. I was so touched as he went on to help the other people in my group in the same way. On our walk back to the village, we were lead through the jungle as a short-cut. A barefoot 2 year old in front of me started crying; her feet were cut or injured, so I put my arms out and she let me pick her up. Her arms went around my neck and she stopped crying. I carried this beautiful little girl the whole walk back, because I just couldn’t let her down and make her walk. A few times she rested her head against my shoulder or held her arms tighter around me. I felt her lean back and take a good look at my face out of curiosity and, content that she was okay to be with me, she’d put her head back on my shoulder.

Again we came across a barbed wire fence, and six kids raced ahead to hold the whole fence up for us to comfortably walk under. The amount of love these kids pour out to someone they don’t even know made my heart melt. All they want in return is love from us, and I think I can say on behalf of the whole class that that is not a hard thing for us to do.

These next two weeks we will be in Sabana Grande doing construction work. I know I’ll love that too, as its a different way for us to serve God through serving people. However, without a doubt, I will be so happy to go back to Nueva Creacion to see the adorable kids again and give them the love they so badly want from us.

Wow! Follow along with their journey at this blog:

http://dominicaniblock.blogspot.ca/

Test-Based Accountability

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 18:42:00 +0000

Schools are usually associated with tests. In the United States and Canada there has been a growing movement towards using tests (and particularly high stakes tests) to evaluate student progress. This education model is based on the idea that you can put a group of students through the same experience or class and expect to 'fill them up' with information and produce the same type of outcome among all (or at least most) of them measured with a test.

Check out this link for more information on test based accountability by Marc Tucker:

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/top_performers/2014/02/the_failure_of_test-based_accountability.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2

Here is one quote that stood out to me:

"What do you suppose doctors would think if hospital administrators got together and decided that the answer to the country's healthcare problems was to use a 49-page evaluation rubric to evaluate all the doctors admitted to practice at that hospital?"

Although a lengthy evaluation process sounds silly in the medical field, it is common practice in education. The key question is what all the testing actually tells us about learning. Many teachers are starting to conclude that excessive testing only really serves to prove that students can take tests.

At TD, we really try to allow students to find different ways to express what they are learning than just written tests. Presentations, projects and real world applications are among the many ways that we are experimenting with evaluation. It is our goal to support and build up students for who they are and who God has created them to be.

Tim Bentum

And Now a Historic Announcement!

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Sat, 08 Feb 2014 20:58:00 +0000

On Friday, February 7, 2014, TDChristian High School officially completed the purchase of the adjacent fire station on Woodbridge Avenue. The property will be leased back to the city until a new station is built (no later than June 2017). We thank Ren Siebenga for his dedication and determination over the past 10 years in making the purchase a reality. This purchase will be used as we help students learn for service in the light of God's Word.

On Schooling...

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 22:20:00 +0000

Have you ever thought about school? I am sure that you have, but have you ever thought about it in terms of the 'stuff' that happens there? Specifically, why does that stuff happen there? Does it have to happen like that? Why or why not?

Recently, the TD leadership team took a trip to a Big Picture School down in Buffalo, N.Y. It was inspirational and it got us thinking about the 'stuff' of schools.

For more information about Big Picture Schools check out the link:

http://www.bigpicture.org/

Here is one quote to leave you with. It is by Dennis Littky, the founder of the Big Picture Network of Schools.

"Thousands of years of history suggest that the schoolhouse as we know it is an absurd way to rear our young; it's contrary to everything we know about what it is to be a human being. For example, we know that doing and talking are what most successful people are very good at - that's where they truly show their stuff. We know that reading and writing are important, but also that these are things that only a rather small and specialized group of people is primarily good at doing. And yet we persist in a form of schooling that measures our children's 'achievement' largely in the latter terms, not the former..." (p. vii, The Big Picture, 2006).

Gets you thinking doesn't it?

Tim Bentum

Present Away!

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 23:04:00 +0000

In the last blog post, Tim Bentum references Stephen Hurley in his article, "Is our focus on assessment taking away from our children's education?" on the Canadian Education Association blog (http://www.cea ace.ca/blog/stephen-hurley/2012/01/1/our-focus-assessment-taking-away-our-childrens-education).
He suggests that "richly complex and engaging learning experiences are sidelined because they are 'too difficult to assess' " and, consequently, we take "something precious away from our children."

Luke explaining aneurysms during Grade 10 Science

Today, we had Presentations of Learning Day at TDChristian - a day of richly complex and engaging learning experiences for scores of students. We welcomed over 20 guests, including parents, grandparents, and educators from other schools. Some gave thoughtful feedback to our students and staff. Others posited excellent questions. "Why do you have students present?" How do they fit into education? How do they intersect with project-based learning?

The morning assembly - PULSE time (check the website)

This morning, in our assembly, we began with devotions. In a very small nutshell, Nehemiah saw a problem, prayed about it, and then was moved to do something about it. He ended up with a big and meaningful project after responding to the king when asked, "What is it you want?" It was an effective answer - a solid presentation!

Today, an energizing and exciting kind of learning was on display!

Miley comparing the novels "North and South" and "Underground to Canada" as part of her ESL class

Carol pitching "Exquisite Events", in the Grade 11 Entrepreneurship Fair

Valentina, in Grade 9 Art, rolling a clay coil (after describing coil, slab and pinch pottery techniques).

The general trend we (Carter and Jeremy - photo below) see is a growth in diversity of skin colour at TD. In the first two decades the percentage of white graduates was astonishingly high. In 1982-1983 the graduating class was 100% white. Moving along we see a growth from 0% of non-white graduates in 1982 up to 23% of non-white graduates in 2012 - an average growth rate of diversity of skin colour of 8% every 10 years.

Carter and Jeremy, after their Data Management 12 class presentation, sending the graph to share on the blog

Finally, see Presentations of Learning Day through the lens of Photography 12 student, Lyndsey.

Drama 10 improvising - JoyAnna, Riley, Bethanie, Emily, Jason, Zach, Maya and Maddy!

Green Industries 11: Julia, Ella, Monika, and Emily

Brady answering a question in English 9

Frank playing his homemade Physics 11 instrument

Neson convincing others of his Business aspirations!

By: William Groot

"Measuring" Learning

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 03:11:00 +0000

Earlier this month the PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) test score results were released from its latest round of testing back in 2012. What is the PISA study? In short, it is a test given to 15 year old students in participating OECD countries (plus some other countries) every three years. This past year 500,000 students representing 65 nations participated. Three areas are focused on: Math, Science and Reading. In other words, it is a way for participating nations to better understand how their education system ranks according to other nations in the three categories listed above.

So how did Canada stack up? According to Wikipedia, Canada ranked 13th in Math, 11th in Science and 8th in Reading out of the 65 participating nations. Not too bad, depending on how much you value this sort of benchmark. For reference, our American cousins placed a distant 36th in Math, 28th in Science and 24th in Reading. Shanghai, which operates as a separate entity from China for the purposes of this test, actually took top spot in all categories. Pretty impressive.

Given the huge amount of data collected from various parts of the globe and the high stakes that have become connected with doing well on the test, it should come as no surprise that the PISA study often comes under heavy fire from opponents. For one example from the United States, check out the link below from a blog post by Rick Hess entitled, "Seven Reasons I Don't Care About the PISA Results".

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rick_hess_straight_up/2013/12/7_reasons_i_dont_care_about_the_pisa_results.html?cmp=ENL-CM-NEWS1

Mr. Hess makes some interesting points about the PISA test, which I believe should extend into our thinking about education in general.

In recent years on both sides of the Canadian/American border, there has been a huge push on to properly evaluate or measure student learning outcomes. Many good things have come out of this re-look at assessment such as increased allowances for different forms of evaluation beyond just written tests.

However, one of the major underlying issues with this push is the generally accepted belief that statistics tell most of (if not the whole) story in education and student learning. In other words, if you can't measure it, why is it worth spending time on in the classroom? After all, there is so much curriculum to cover and so little time to do it in. This was the thinking behind the highly controversial No Child Left Behind Act in the United States and it is the same thinking that drives our own standardized literacy testing in Ontario. Essentially, learning outcomes have to be measurable.

From our own Canadian perspective, I find what Stephen Hurley has to say about the increasing over-assessment in education to be really on the mark. Check out the link below:

http://www.cea-ace.ca/blog/stephen-hurley/2012/01/1/our-focus-assessment-taking-away-our-childrens-education

Essentially, Hurley believes there is a place for evaluation in and of education, but within reason and within the right context. The question becomes, what is driving the education in the first place? Is the learning being done such that students can do well on a standardized test? Or, conversely, is the learning being done so that students have a better chance to learn something about themselves and the person that God has created them to be? Depending on your answer to the questions above, the learning process is going to look radically different.

To put it another way and to relate it to one of my earlier Blog posts, if Tony Wagner is correct in his assertion that play, purpose and passion are at the heart of innovation in education, how do you measure those? Are they measurable? By extension, what does the PISA study mean in this context?

"Academic Rigour" at TDChristian High School

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 22:27:00 +0000

The University of Houston defines academic rigour as "difficulty and/or challenge(s) presented in any academic setting."

At TDChristian, we practice such rigour. Our aim is to help every one of our students look for trends and patterns - to grasp theory through experimentation and practice and vice-versa. Learning should include challenge and difficulty but through the student's choosing not the teacher's.

The judicious use of projects pushes students to think deeply and contextually. Imagine a medical program in which cadavers weren't utilized. Or, a business program that did not include case studies.

Projects foster excellent learning because lessons are learned through experience and for a purpose; it's a way of learning for service in the light of God's Word. Knowledge is placed within a framework rather than remembered for the next test (and then, for many, forgotten).

At TDChristian, we want to ensure more than knowledge acquisition or transfer. Knowledge needs to have application. Doing something relevant or authentic helps students really learn the material.

But after learning happens, through projects or otherwise, how is it celebrated? Tests and assignments don't focus on what students know. More often, they indicate what someone doesn't know. After a test, I have often heard students say, "I studied that but it wasn't even on the test." Or, "Wow, the teacher asked exactly what I studied the most. It was awesome!"

In contrast, presentations allow and encourage students to tell what they know, not what they don't know. I relish the times when students have the opportunity to tell others what they've learned. I am often amazed by what I learn!

On December 13, from 8:55 a.m. to 2:55 p.m., we have our Semester One Presentations Day. Come and celebrate the work of students in over 40 classes. Check the line up via this link:
www.tdchristian.ca/pdf/homepage/TD_PresentationsOfLearningBooklet_Dec13.pdf

We would love to see you! Come and see us!

For more on why we have our students present see: www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3WgmhpS_zo

By W. Groot

Celebrate Volleyball: OFSAA Day 3

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 05:42:00 +0000

Earlier this year, in March, our Senior Girls team were OFSAA "A" Volleyball Bronze Medalists. The boys were OFSAA "A" Volleyball Bronze Medalists this weekend. It was a good year for TDChristian Volleyball.

It's impressive when teams or students do well, but there is something more important!

The final point (pun intended) of TDChristian's Vision and Identity statement states that "We celebrate the unique giftedness of each person by God for his purposes." The concluding line of the paragraph is, "Our goal is to help all students develop their gifts and abilities to the utmost so they can serve and glorify God."

As we work for and alongside of them, we desire to provide students means and ways to determine what makes them unique and to celebrate it. When a student discovers a gift, hones a talent, or develops an ability, it gives him or her another way to honour God, to share with others, and to grow as a person.

That is what happened at OFSAA these past three days - through cheering, blocks, spikes, digs, passes, sets, wins, and, even a disappointing but hard fought loss. It was special and it is a tenet of TDChristian education.

By: (Coach) William Groot

It's More than a Game: OFSAA Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 14:27:00 +0000

The temptation with competitive sports is to make the game out to be more than it is - a game. Don't get me wrong, I prefer winning to losing. However, when a school offers its students the opportunity to play on sports teams it ought to do so with something other than winning as the primary aim.

This year's senior boys volleyball team has been on a quest, one that has led us to a higher level at OFSAA than any other TDChristian Boys Volleyball team. Today's championship quarter-finals victory over Woodland Christian High School means that the team will finish fourth or higher. The previous best was tied for fifth, accomplished, I believe, three times in the past: 2000 in Kenora, 2007 in Carleton Place, and 2009 in Bowmanville.

But that is not the main or the best part. The team is learning what it really means to be a team - Joel VanOfwegen, our starting right side, goes down with an injury and two others fill in - Nathan Banks and Jason Kooy. Better yet, Joel seamlessly and selflessly becomes a great part of the BENCH - guys who have consistently served the rest of the team by helping out with preparing guys for play, cheering with great fervour and energy, and who have been ready to assist wherever needed.

There is an old African proverb (shared by former TDChristian Board Chair, Will Postma) - "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." We will see what later today brings and how far we go in the tournament. But, no matter what the final result, we have come very far together. It is fun and fulfilling.

My hope is that the lessons of teamwork from this tournament are etched into the minds of the team going forward. It is not about me, it is about us as we seek God's will and honour Him in all we do - volleyball wins and losses included. It really is much more than a game!

By: William Groot

Education and Play at OFSAA... Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 14:40:00 +0000

The life a student-athlete involves a lot more dedication than many people realize. Students on this year's senior volleyball team have played over 40 matches and attended more than 15 practices. Learning how to keep up with school work while playing is an art and a science. Being a good manager of time is an asset. At OFSAA many of the players worked at school and at volleyball. The six students in the photo above spent almost two and a half hours working on a math assignment. While I write this post, five students are writing tests.

Learning how work effectively as a team takes time and effort, as well. Each person needs to learn and know his role. Sometimes that takes a season! In team devotions, we read from Romans 12 focussing on "For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us." Applying that in all the groups in each of our lives will help us serve God and others, as our Lord intended.

On Day 1, the TDChristian Falcons (Left to Right above: Tim Kooy, Jason Kooy, Patrick Heming, Joel VanOfwegen, Mark Groot, Zach Albert, Nick Piccolo, Mark VanOfwegen, Adam Wiedemann, Ben Schuringa, Nathan Banks, Scott Vahrmeyer, and Elliot Bergsma, along with coaches Mr. Micheal Albert and Mr. William Groot) played their first three matches of the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations Boys' "A" Volleyball Championships in North Bay, Ontario. It was a day where trials were faced and overcome, where an injury struck our team and others had to fill in, and one in which the team won all its matches (see http://www.ofsaa.on.ca/boys-volleyball for results). We played well and together. That was the difference.

Who knows what Day 2 will bring? We only know that we will be doing our best in our quest to be the best volleyball team at our level in all aspects of the game - sportsmanship, teamwork, skill, and score - as we seek to honour God through all of it.

by W. Groot

Formulating Problems

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 03:19:00 +0000

A few posts ago I wrote a bit about how much I like TED talks, particularly on the future of education.
I don't mean to make every blog post based on a TED talk, but… here's another one. This one will
only take 11 minutes and 39 seconds of your time. What I really like about it is the five principles that
Dan Meyer, high school math teacher, describes as being key to teaching and learning math in the 21st
century. The five principles, as you will note, are really transferable to many different types of learning
and they all have as a basis the skill of formulating problems. That's right, not solving problems, but
formulating them to begin with.

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_meyer_math_curriculum_makeover.html

The five takeaways for teachers (or really anyone working with young people) were as follows:

1. Use Multimedia

2. Encourage Student Intuition

3. Ask the Shortest Question You Can

4. Let Students Build The Problem

5. Be Less Helpful

A few of these might seem counter-intuitive, but the reality is that solving problems that are already
clearly defined is something that doesn't often happen in the real world. It is a skill (and a really highly
important one at that) to be able to identify what the problem is to begin with before moving on to
solving it. So the next time a TD teacher asks a short question that leads to extensive research, think
about the development of one of life's most important skills: formulating problems.

By: Tim Bentum

Safe Schools ACT!

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 19:40:00 +0000

In 2000 the Ministry of Education in Ontario introduced the Safe Schools Act. A brief summary of the act as found on the related website is as follows:

"An Act to increase respect and responsibility, to set standards for safe learning and safe teaching in schools and to amend the Teaching Profession Act."

I think policy is a great thing. Everyone has to have a general framework from which to work and operate. However, I also know that policy is only as good as the paper it is written on if it is not enACTed. In other words, it is the day to day stuff that everyone does that collectively contributes towards a great community and in this case, a safe school.

The picture below caused me to write this blog post. We are certainly not a perfect community but when Marg, our secretary, happened to mention to me that all of these items were recently turned into her as lost items, I felt compelled to celebrate for a few moments. It might be a bit hard to make out, but a ring, a jump drive, a pencil case, an Ipod and two separate finds of $5 each were returned to the office today. It has also been my experience that these items are often claimed by the rightful owner within short order. It doesn't always happen, but more often than not, it does; and that is beautiful.

So, when you hear about Safe Schools Act, think about the ACTing part of the Act.

To put it really simply, if you have a safe school, it is that way because of the small individual actions of the people in it.

By: Tim Bentum

Design for Change

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 19:46:00 +0000

I am a big fan of TED talks, particularly ones that deal with the future of education.

Check out the link below for a really interesting TED talk by Emily Pilloton about her efforts to re-make a school system in rural North Carolina.

http://www.ted.com/talks/emily_pilloton_teaching_design_for_change.html

What is really interesting to me about the talk is the last ten minutes or so when she starts to describe one of the key initiatives that she wanted to see change in the local high school related to shop class. Instead of using shop class for making things that served just the local school, they designed a program around renewing the wider community and township.

Eventually, after lots of research and communicating with the local town the shop class decided to start by turning an old building into a local marketplace for the community to meet, share and shop for local produce.

As I watched this I couldn’t help but think about opportunities to engage our community for God’s kingdom work. TD is actively involved in many similar endeavors and we are always looking for more. If you have a potential connection that you think might fit in with a shop class or any other class, let us know. We’d love to partner with you towards God’s kingdom plan.

By: Tim Bentum

Quebec here we come (Part 3 of 3)

noreply@blogger.com (TDChristian High School) — Sun, 20 Oct 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Le 8 octobre

Today was a busy day, but a good busy. We got up nice and early to visit a school just outside of Quebec City. Previous to the trip, we had emailed some of the students and it was really cool to be able to meet with them and talk to them in person. It was a mix of French, English and a bit of confusion for some of us, but it was a really great experience. After our time there, we went to dinner at a creperie, which was heavenly just for the record, and then had some time to explore the city, which is always a win. To finish off the day, we went on our phantom tour. For this, we had a guide who led us around old Quebec to different places and told us some very interesting stories about Quebec's darker past. I think mostly everyone enjoyed it. So it was a long day, but totally worth it.

Sam and Carol

Le 9 octobre

We spent the morning at the Musée de la civilization where we went to explore the history of Quebec. In the exhibit, we focused on finding information relating to the individual topics we researched on project day. The exhibit was filled with plaques and artifacts relating to our topics. We noticed that in the exhibit, Quebec was mostly reflecting back on the good times in their history as opposed to a lot of the struggles we read about in class. We ended the exhibit with watching a short video showing interviews with people expressing their opinions on what it meant to be a Quebecois.

Afterwards we had the opportunity to explore the rest of the museum including an exhibit on planet earth and an exhibit full of historic and current video games, which all of us found fun. The remainder of the afternoon was free time to further explore Quebec City and visit new parts that we hadn't seen yet. We headed back to our chalets for burgers and a time to reflect on our week in Quebec City.

Allison & Jesse

Le 10 octobre

On our way home today at 6:30 am, we were sad to leave, but also ready to join our families and friends again. A bus breakdown between Quebec City and Drummondville, left us stranded at the side of the road for a while, but we amused ourselves by playing cards and dancing, as well as waving at passing motorists. We finally rolled into the TD parking lot at about 9:30 pm, grateful to Fran our bus driver, for her solid driving and good humour, as well as Mr. Dengerink, who accompanied us on this trip. As we look back on a week of beautiful weather, great scenery and meaningful experiences in the province of Quebec we thank God for this opportunity and for the new insights we have gained, both on a personal level and in our learning of Fench.

Mme Joosse et Mme Vanderkooy