Jr High Campus Blog
Archives - February 2023
Educational Support Services!
February 22, 2023
In this month when we get to focus on GROWING IN GRATITUDE, I am grateful and honored that I get to highlight our Educational Support Services. It is so exciting to share that in just the last two years, we have grown from a team of one to a team of nine. Last school year, we added a resource specialist on every campus to facilitate our support services for students at the campus level. This year we were able to add an instructional assistant on each campus to work with our resource specialists, teachers, and students in providing educational supports both inside and outside the classroom. It felt most fitting to share a testimony from one of our own Cascade Christian parents on how the work of our ESS team has impacted not only her student but her family:
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” –Psalm 32:8
It means more than any one person could know or measure that Cascade Christian has taken the time to develop a department that focuses on teaching children who learn differently to reach their full potential, because not all children learn the same. Over the years, the support my family and son have received via Educational Support Services here at CCS has helped my son feel confident and loved. The specialized one-on-one instruction that teaches to my child’s learning strengths has unlocked the gifts Jesus has given him. Not only has his resource specialist helped him excel in his academics, but she has always reinforced that who he is in Jesus is unique and special. His gifts have always been highlighted and recognized. Our family has been able to not only continue at Cascade Christian but thrive because of the support services and teachers.
—CCS Parent
It was encouraging to see the positive responses for the need of more support services across the district. Thank you for your support!
High School and Junior High STEM!
February 15, 2023
At Cascade Christian Junior High and High School, students are not just learning about STEM. They are doing it! Whether it be testing the regenerative properties of stem cells, using coding software to debug broken programs, or applying algebra to “mythbust” Indiana Jones, our students are putting the discovery back in STEM.
At the junior high and high school levels, we strive to provide more than just a rote STEM program. We want students to find joy in the process, become curious about discovery, and work together to solve relevant real-world problems. In 7th grade, Mrs. Van Meerbeke’s students just finished using water samples from our own backyard to learn about water pollution and how we can take better steps to steward creation in the way God has called us to. In Mr. Fuson’s coding class, students are using the programming language Scratch to fix (or debug) some broken programs. That same language helps them design visual products in which they can share facts about themselves. And that’s just (SOME of) the junior high!
In the high school, Mr. Norton’s and Mrs. Duckworth’s Robotics Club has been meeting weekly and is gearing up to make its first battle bot. And while the club members are still a long way
from competing, they are taking steps in the right direction! Biology students are working with the regenerative properties of stem cells to see how planarians are capable of undergoing reproduction, regrowth, and renewal; and then the students are discussing how these ideas are used in the fields of medicine and science. Mrs. Campbell’s AP Physics students are mastering gravity with their own handmade trebuchet, and our AP Chemistry students are synthesizing crystals to learn about crystalline structure and how to produce compounds (such as medications) that need to be made in large quantities.
While I could go on about all the amazing things our students are doing in their classes, what I really want to highlight is the importance of what we are trying to do here as a department. More than anything, we as teachers want to inspire an innate passion and joy for God’s mysterious world. We want students to become so engaged that they can’t help but want to know more. In the end, it is this drive, this passion, and this curiosity that will inspire them to become innovators who will change their world, who will IMPACT their world.
As the Amoeba Sisters say, “Stay curious!”
Coming Up at JH/HS!
February 08, 2023
Here are some important and exciting events coming up at the junior high and high school:
- February 6-10—Counselor's Appreciation Week. We are so grateful for Mrs. Meeks and all she does for our students and school. Take some time to thank her next week!
- February 9-11—HS Theatre Production The Play That Goes Wrong.
- February 10—No School, Teacher Professional Development.
- February 15—Safe Tech at Home Workshop with Nathan Sutherland. Register soon for this free amazing workshop!
- February 16—Awards Assembly for 1st semester.
- February 17—State Wrestling Tournament at the Tacoma Dome. Come support or support from a distance through prayer.
- February 17-21—Midwinter Break; Teacher Professional Development, 2/21.
- February 23—JH Pep Assembly.
- March 2—JH/HS Band Concert.
- March 2—Relationships in the Home Workshop with Cornelia Thomas. You won't want to miss this free workshop!
- March 3—Global Awareness Fair.
Growing in Gratitude
February 01, 2023
After a strong foundation has been created for a plant, the plant is set up to grow and thrive. But if you are like me and do not have a “green thumb,” you may sometimes wonder, How do I know if my plants are growing well?
One way we can tell whether a plant is growing well is if the plant can ward off insect activity. A plant draws nutrients from the soil to make it strong and give it the ability to defend against invasions from hungry little critters. Another way we can tell that a plant is growing well is if it can withstand drought. Healthy soil can hold more water than dry or dead dirt, allowing it to remain hydrated even on hot days.
When it comes to our life in Christ, Colossians 2:6–7 gives us some insight into how we know we are growing. Paul says that when we root our life in Jesus and He becomes the foundation, our life will be one that is “overflowing with gratitude” (NASB). How is that? And what difference does that make?
As we grow, we become increasingly aware that what Christ did for us was something we did not deserve and were not capable of earning for ourselves. On the cross, Christ saved us from our sin. The more we become aware of that, the more thankful we become.
The more thankful we become, the more our lives and the lives of people around us are positively impacted. Studies show that as we express gratitude, we are less susceptible to things like high blood pressure, negative thinking, stress, and depression. Just as nutrients can help a plant ward off insects and withstand drought, gratitude can help us ward off the plans of the enemy and stay rooted throughout the droughts of life.
During the month of February, we will be studying how to GROW IN GRATITUDE. Our students will learn that gratitude begins with salvation. They will hear about people like Mary, Jesus’ mother, who expressed her gratitude through song and worship because of the gift that God had given her. And they will learn that gratitude happens not only when we stop and appreciate what we have but also when we share what we have with others.
So, as you take time to pray for us this month, join us in taking time to thank God for family and friends. Don’t forget to thank God for His provisions in your life—your job, your house, your health, the food you eat and drink. Let’s not miss this opportunity to be grateful. After all, you never know what kind of difference it might make in your life as well as in the lives of those around you.
