Nov
14
The sixth grade social studies curriculum is about the “Power of Ideas”
Their first unit was on the power of the press and media, their second unit was on the WWII Manzanar Japanese Relocation Camp. And they are just finishing up their third unit about the power of money and the postive and negative ideas that money can generate.
The spent yesterday morning at the San Bernardino City Mission, and the afternoon at the Mission Inn in Riverside.
The intention of the field trip was to compare and contrast the two. And it wasn’t hard for the students to do so. Money, or the lack of it, can be a very powerful factor in our life. What we think we “need” is far more often a mere “want”.
Our goal in teaching this curriculum is for the students to be able to identify and properly respond to external powers that influence them every day. And to be “idea people” themselves, and not to so often fall in behind others people’s ideas.
Nov
13
The boxes for Operation Christmas Child are due this coming Monday.
Yesterday in chapel, Mrs Sellars told all the children about the boxes and then we showed them a short DVD of children in far away lands receiving their boxes. It was a powerful DVD.
Earlier this week, your child should have come home with information about Operation Christmas Child. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call the office.
Nov
12
Each Wednesday in Chapel we award one student from each class as the “Student of the Week”.
We want to take the time to praise the students for their good attitude in class or their kindness on the playground or their working hard at their desk or for being helpful to a fellow student.
As the weeks roll along each student will receive this award. It is not hard to find the good things that they do.
Congratulations to this weeks Students of the Week!
Nov
11
Tomorrow in chapel we will be sharing with the students our support of Operation Christmas Child.
What is it? We ask each student to prepare a shoe box with simple items (we’ll be giving them a list or you can look at their web page here) for a child their age with gifts for Christmas.
The boxes will be sent to various places around the world for needy children. It is a great program. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Mrs. Sellars or myself.
Nov
9
On Tuesday, the voters in California approved Proposition 8 which will amend the state constitution to defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
Much of the post-election protests have revolve around the concept that homosexuals have the right to marry someone of the same gender. And thus, since that right has now been taken away from them, they strongly believe they are being discriminated against.
I think that is weak argument at best, but one that is hard to make headway against due to the idea most of us have about our rights.
First, rights and privileges are often confused. For example, in California, a ten year old does not have the right to drive a car, but a sixteen year old does if he/she has earned the privilege. The state of California clearly discriminates against all ten year old’s who want to drive. In this example, and many others, discrimination by the state is good and wise.
Likewise, the state of California does not see marriage as a right, but as a privilege. Someone who wants to marry has to meet certain requirements. That might sound offensive to some, but when the courts ruled that homosexuals could marry (changing the requirements), the decision was made to take the issue to the people (to reverse the change of requirements made by the courts). That is the way the system in California works.
Why did the people in California decide to reverse the courts decision? Several reasons. First, many people are convinced that homosexual behavior is wrong. And thus a vice should not translate into a right.
Second, there is an increasing desire to present homosexuality in schools, in television, in movies, etc. For those who are ambivalent to private homosexual choices, they are uncomfortable, and will speak through the ballot box, when those choices become mainstream or worse, with the possibility that it might become part of school curriculums.
Third, the argument that homosexuality is genetic is not convincing. The problem is that medical and scientific research is insufficient to make this an open and shut case. Those who adamantly espouse the genetic argument do so more out of opinion and experience than fact.
Fourth, for many people there is the conviction that children are best raised in a home with a mother and father as role models. They believe children need both masculine and feminine parenting, and the lack of that balance is not best for children.
Fifth, many people see marriage as a fundamental institution for a certain kind of society and culture and nation. And thus they react protectively when they see the changing of marriage requirements as a “gateway” to new forms of legal relationships. While the opponents of Proposition 8 reject this idea, history tells a different story of “slippery slope” issues.
Homosexual marriage will continue to be a serious topic in California and our nation. But the arguments using the idea of rights and discrimination need to properly understood, articulated, and not over-stated.
Nov
9
DRCS is taking Monday off for Veteran’s Day. On some school calendars Tuesday was marked as the day off.
That was an error. We think we got the news out to everybody, but just in case, there will be NO school tomorrow, November 10th.
Nov
8
“For everyone looks out for his own interests,
not those of Jesus Christ.”
Few things are as well established than human selfishness. It runs deep in our psyche and it runs into every area of our life. There is a great benefit in having your children attend a Christian school, but that benefit can backfire if they do not connect it to one key thing: You.
It can backfire because in time they’ll compartmentalize spiritual things. They’ll see them as disconnected from what matter to you, their parents. In the end, children grow up more to be like their parents than their teachers.
By being with your children in church each Sunday you’ll be teaching them that what happens in school is real life to you too.
Photo credit Scripture reference
Nov
7
Today the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classes spent the morning down at the park playing baseball.
Why’d they do that when they could have been back in class learning something far more academic?
Because students need to be balanced. Those three classes have spent the last couple of months learning the nitty-gritty fundamentals about baseball, and today they played an actual game in the park.
Children without balance grow up unbalanced.We believe they’ll be better off learning the disciplines of a sport.
Nov
6
Kindergarten: 1st Place Sara Tuffin, 2nd Place Taylor Camacho, 3rd Place Justin Ruffin
First Grade: 1st Place Kia’a Galvez, 2nd Place Robert Albright, 3rd Place Amanda Troost
Second Grade: 1st Place Kimi Synder, 2nd Place Hannah Patterson, 3rd Place Kylee Robertson, 3rd Place Jacob Reyes
Third Grade: 1st Place Isabella Mendoza, 2nd Place Samantha Vargas, 3rd Place Joanna Carbajal
Fourth Grade: 1st Place Kacie Clark, 2nd Place Emilee Schaefer, 3rd Place Leighton Sibille
Sixth Grade: 1st Place Austin Fournier
Nov
5
Each Wednesday in Chapel we award one student from each class as the “Student of the Week”.
We want to take the time to praise the students for their good attitude in class or their kindness on the playground or their working hard at their desk or for being helpful to a fellow student.
As the weeks roll along each student will receive this award. It is not hard to find the good things that they do.
Congratulations to this weeks Students of the Week!