A “Word from the Bird”

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It’s Registration Season…

When I am out and about, I often get asked, “Where do your kids go to school?” This is all the opportunity I need to share what I like about the school my children attend.  I love having this conversation because I have a deep appreciation for the Christian education that my children receive there. My hope is that parents and students who are part of the HDCH community are having these conversations as well.

Right now we are in the process of enrolling and re-enrolling students for next year, and word of mouth is the number one reason for the new inquiries we are receiving. As staff and as parents, we all aim to cultivate the character of our children through learning for a life of service to God, and we think we can bless more families with this mission. One person or one committee cannot accomplish what a community of enthusiastic parents can. The growth and long-term health of this school community is best supported when staff and parents view enrollment as a shared community responsibility. As parents, you are our most important ambassadors.

So, do you love HDCH? Do you appreciate the education that your child is getting? Do you value the lessons of the head, heart and hands for your child? I invite you to tell someone about your experience at HDCH. If you have a friend or family member that you know might be interested in enrolling their child, please refer them to Harry Meester (hmeester@hdch.org) or myself (nsiebenga@hdch.org).

As we enter into Family Day weekend, I encourage you to listen to my podcast and reflect on what it means to be creative and playful in the image of God.

Mr. Siebenga

In this Issue…

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Upcoming Events

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Arts Matter – Saturday, March 3 @ 5 p.m.

We are only two weeks away from Hamilton District Christian High’s fundraiser for the Arts – Arts Matter!  This is an evening to support and showcase the Visual, Dramatic, and Musical Arts at HDCH.  Join us for dinner, purchase a spring plant, bid in the silent auction, and discover how art is impacting our students.  Our goal is to raise $50,000. Watch the promo video below for more details about the evening.

Tickets are $25 per adult and $10 per child (aged 4-12), or $200 for a table of 8.  Tickets are selling fast!

For tickets, please call the HDCH office at 905.648.6655, e-mail info@hdch.org, or contact a member of the HDCH Fundraising Committee:

Owen Webb  ̶  owebb@hdch.org Catherine Baird – catherinebaird71@gmail.com
JoAnn Voorberg  ̶  jmvoorberg@yahoo.ca Carolyn Kippers  ̶  c.kippers@gmail.com
Liz Lodewyks  ̶  blodewyks@cogeco.ca Angeline Langendoen  ̶  alangendoen@shaw.ca
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“FYI”–For Your Information

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Report Cards

Learning reports and report cards were distributed to students on Wednesday, February 15. If you have questions or concerns, please contact teachers directly.

Assignment Assistance

Assignment Assistance is available after school Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday until 4 pm to support students who would benefit from extra support. Students are welcome to drop in to Room 111 to work on assignments and/or receive academic support. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Koiter at akoiter@hdch.org.

Mrs. Koiter

Did You Know?

Did you know that HDCH has a great co-op program? Co-op courses allow our students to gain practical experience in real life employment situations.

Did you also know that you can take co-op in both grade 11 and grade 12? The future is all about having experience in the job market. Students, you could gain almost a year of work experience by taking co-op in both grade 11 and 12.  The only logistical problem in grade 11 would be the need to take a 4 credit co-op in one semester.  You can work all day at your co-op placement for one semester, and take your required courses in the other semester. Then you could do the same thing in grade 12. Or if you have access to transportation in grade 12, you could just take a 2 credit co-op.

Co-op is a great way to earn credits without having to sit behind a school desk!  Contact the guidance office if you need more information or clarifications.

Miss Heusinkveld

Tax Receipts

Tax receipts were mailed last week. If you have any questions regarding your receipt, please contact our Finance Manager, Sherry Osinga, at sosinga@hdch.org or 905-648-6655 x111.

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Student Services

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Student Transcripts

Student transcripts for OUAC and OCAS have been updated recently. It is very important for students to check their on-line accounts for accuracy. Students who are enrolled in independent studies or correspondence courses must check their accounts to make sure that all credits are accounted for. Students should ensure that mid-term marks are reported to Student Services before mid-April.

University/College Applications

Most students have completed their initial applications through OUAC and OCAS. It is important for all applicants to check their email and online accounts for information on supplementary applications, residence, and financial aid. Remember that most schools require students to register or to log-in to unique on-line accounts. Log-in information is usually provided via an acknowledgement email.

Admission Decisions

Most colleges and universities are currently in the middle of their admission reviews. Some students will receive offers in the coming weeks; others may not receive an offer until second semester mid-terms have been received. Students shouldn’t panic if they have not yet received an offer; the majority of offers are released in late April or early May.

Garfield Weston Scholarship

Students interested in studying at an Ontario college next September should consider applying for the Garfield Weston Scholarship. The scholarship invests in students who have demonstrated academic excellence, strong leadership and wide community involvement. The online application for the Entrance W. Garfield Weston Awards is now available at www.garfieldwestonawards.ca/EntranceAwards.   Deadline is Mar. 28, 2012.

Service Hours

All students, particularly those in grade 12, are reminded to submit records of accumulated service hours to the office as soon as possible. The deadline for graduating students to submit 40 hours is May 30.

Mr. Apers

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School News

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An Interview with Floyd Elzinga

On Friday, Feb. 10th, Mr. DeVries had the privilege of interviewing Floyd Elzinga about the sculpture he created for the front entrance of the school–”The Spirit of Education.” Floyd began the interview by providing the students with some historical context to help them understand who he is and what events and circumstances have shaped him. He started by explaining to the students that he was the envy of his grade one class in the category of “elephant drawing.” From there, he traced his artistic history through album cover designing while at HDCH (class of ’89) to conceptual art, stained glass and religious art, and finally metal art.

By illustrating his artistic journey, Floyd helped the students to understand some of the thinking and planning that went on behind the final sculpture that was presented to the school. At the base of the sculpture is a book carved in stone. For some, the book symbolizes the Bible, but Floyd indicated that it is also a concrete image of knowledge in general. The second element was Floyd’s favourite part of the piece, the abstract representation of a double edged sword. Playing with light in its shiny surface, the sword is an abstract representation of our school mascot, the Knight, but also has many other implications and facets. And finally, the third element of the piece, the bird, not meant to represent any specific type of bird, offers a sense of freedom and flight, of students and community members who have the school (the book and the sword) as a starting point for flight. In the end, however, it is also open to personal interpretation.

To conclude, Floyd challenged HDCH to view the entire school campus as a blank slate. How can we, as a student body, create visual representations of our collective identity through art? How can we communicate to visitors to the school what it means to be followers of Christ through sculpture? What kind of art can we install inside and outside of the school simply for the sake of beauty? We are creative beings made in the image of a creator God. Let the dialogue begin!

 Mr. Cook & Mr. DeVries

House Demo

On Feb. 10th, 2012 the original home of the HDCH property was brought down and demolished. After the passing away of Mrs. Kuurstra in 2001, this house was a rental home until last fall. In order to get the house up to proper code and condition to rent, it was determined by the Board of HDCH that the long term cost of restoring the house was more than the cost of a demolition. The Board also concluded that taking the house down and opening the land up for other uses by our school was the best course of action and would be better suited to accomplish the vision of HDCH.

Stay tuned for more news on how we will use this piece of our property in the future.

Mr. Siebenga

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Athletics

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Winter sports are just about to come to an end, and many teams are anticipating making it to SOSSA (the championship games for Southern Ontario Secondary School Association).

Despite the senior girls’ volleyball team’s loss to Vanier in the preliminary round of playoffs, the team is still hopeful to make SOSSA (especially since HDCH will be hosting the “A” Volleyball division on Thursday February 23rd). The team also had a good time at the Christian tournament in Belleville, bowing out in quarter finals to Smithville.

On Thursday, February 23, HDCH has the privilege of hosting our regional championships (SOSSA) for Senior Girls ‘A’ Volleyball. This is an exciting event that includes the top four teams from Southern Ontario competing for a chance to go to the provincial championships (OFSAA) which will be held in Toronto this year.  The semi-final games will be played at 9am and 10:30am, and the championship game will be at 1:00pm.  Come on out to watch some exciting volleyball!

The junior girls’ volleyball team, despite a great season, have completed their games and have no chance for a challenge match. That being said, the girls would like to thank their coaches Mr. Ed Bosvelde and Mrs. Vandervelde.

The senior boys’ basketball team made it as far as the semi-finals in the Christian High Tournament, but ultimately lost. The senior boys also played well in their match against Guido Tuesday night, but could not pull out a win and do not advance to SOSSA.

The junior boys’ basketball team defeated Highland Tuesday night, earning them a spot at SOSSA. They also had an exciting weekend at the Christian High Tournament finishing with a silver medal, losing by a hair in overtime.

The hockey teams have been practicing hard and long. They participated in a tournament Wednesday at the Mohawk Quad.

Spring sports have already started practicing. The indoor track team will have their first meet next Friday. Badminton tryouts start this week along with morning soccer for girls and guys. We are in for an exciting next few months!

Danielle Fennema

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Event Updates

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Valentine’s Day @ HDCH

Have you been seeing a few more rose petals around the school than you would normally expect? For Valentine’s Day, Student Council sold roses and Crush pop cans instead of candy grams, and HDCH was filled with the lovely scent of roses all day! Thanks to everyone who helped make this a huge success.

Emma Hansen

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Community News

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Job Opportunities

Burlington Christian Bus Services (BCBS) is currently looking to fill the following 2 positions…

(1)    Driver to cover a route in the North Burlington area (mornings and afternoons, Monday through Friday). Class “B” license required, but training will be provided.

(2)    “Spare” driver to fill in for vacations, sick days, and trips as needed. Class “B” license required.

If you are interested in joining our team, please contact Cathy Hansen at 905-638-0092 or bcbsdispatch@sympatico.ca.

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