the calling a worldwide christian schools® publication Spring 2015

Scott Vander KooyPresident, WWCS

Be Still and Know

Kids today seem so busy. If

you have children at home,

or know anyone who does,

you know that young people typically

have a sports, church, or educational

event to attend after school. If there

is no place to go, there are always

video games to play.

Being busy is not a bad thing, but

sometimes it can obstruct our view

of God.

When I was young, I spent a lot of

time outside, sometimes not “doing”

much of anything. As an example, I

used to lie in a fi eld with my face to

the sky, watching the clouds drift by.

I was reminded of those times this

past Easter morning as I was outside

enjoying a view of the rising sun after

a long, cold winter. On that morning,

the plants seemed so hungry for sun

that I think I actually saw them turn

toward it.

How could there not be a

Creator?

We want schools that do much

more than keep young people busy.

Elvis’s StoryA STUDENT’S TESTIMONY

My name is Elvis Registre

Robert. I’m 13 years old and

a student at Nueva Creación

de Fe School in the Dominican

Republic. When I was 12 years old,

I came to school with great diffi culty

because I didn’t know how to read

and write. I was ashamed of this,

and I didn’t want to attend classes

because I couldn’t complete my

assignments.

The teacher recognized my

diffi culties and had compassion on

me as I recognized very few words

and struggled to write them down.

With strong motivation, each of my

teachers began devoting special

time to me during their free hours.

They put me to work pronouncing

Continued on page 2...

JUST LEARNING

We want schools that help kids

use the quiet times of life to see

God’s work in the world.

There are over 120 million

school-aged children who are

not part of any formal education.

Certainly, these kids see the world,

but do they see Him? Do they

know what God gave to them?

An open, welcoming, Christ-

centered school will make all the

difference. • (Psalm 46:10)

For Christ,

Zamar Academy in India

Welcome Back, Elise!WWCS Staffer Returns from Lebanon with a Call for Schools in Refugee CampsBy Emily Klooster

We are

happy

to

receive Elise

Giles, our

Director for

Global Partner

Engagement,

back from a

stint with Youth

With A Mission

(YWAM).

Elise spent three months in

Redding, California, preparing for a

six-week mission in Lebanon working

with Syrian families in the refugee

camps there.

“No one really knew about my

work with Worldwide Christian

Schools, but [parents and camp

workers] kept approaching me,

saying, ‘We need schools for the

children. How can we get schools

here?’”

Elise says there are a few NGOs

working in the camps, some setting

up tents and starting schools,

but the need remains great with

hundreds of camps scattered

throughout the mountains of

Lebanon.

As WWCS refi nes its mission for

educational equality in Jesus’ name,

refugee populations in places like

Lebanon will be a key focus as we

consider where the ministry could

best meet the need for access to

Christ-centered schools worldwide.• There will be further reporting on Syrian refugees in Lebanon in our Summer issue. If you have questions for Elise about her experience, contact her at egiles@wwcs.org.

Lebanon

JUST LEARNING TESTIMONY: Elvis’s Story, continued from previous page...

By Dale Dieleman

orldwide Christian Schools

(WWCS) breaks barriers

with a new, free and

downloadable teacher’s resource

called “The Inclusive Classroom”.

This 34-page module begins with a

biblical perspective on disabilities

and argues for barrier-free

education for all students living with

disabilities.

Jessica Roost, Occupational Jessica Roost, Occupational

Therapist and the module’s author,

writes, “Everyone has an important

part to play in God’s Kingdom, and

without each person, including those

with disabilities, the body of Christ

would be less able to further God’s

Kingdom. Everyone is called to serve

and is able to serve in some way.

People with disabilities should not

be pitied, but instead, should be

celebrated as important servants of

God.”

The book’s four sections can

be used in an in-service training

The Inclusive Classroom

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Fe’s StoryAN ADMINISTRATOR’S TESTIMONY

M y name is Fe Abreu Pérez.

I was born in October of

1960 in San Cristóbal,

Dominican Republic. I grew up in

a well-formed, nuclear family and

both my parents were hard-working,

responsible people. I am the oldest

of six children and I learned from an

early age the value of responsibility,

honesty, and commitment.

I was interested in education

even as a high school student, and I

began my educational career giving

homework sessions on the patio

of my house. I began working for

Nueva Creación de Fe, a COCREF*

school, in 1990. I was a second

grade teacher for the afternoon

schedule. We struggled with low

student enrollment at that time with

approximately 70 students, and we

were the only active educational

center in our community.

After the death of our school

director, another person was named

director, but he lasted only one year

before he resigned the post. I was

elected as educational coordinator in

2000. Since that time, I have faced

challenges and situations of every

type and size. During my career as

teaching director, I have worked

with organizations like Compassion

International to help bring meal and

snack benefi ts to the children in our

community. I have also seen many

young people receive the gospel

and grow up to be young men and

women who serve God.

I’m fi lled with happiness when

I consider how our community

has grown. I see the school as a

structure which offers students and

teachers effi ciency as they come

here day after day, both to give

and to receive. I take a great deal

of satisfaction in working for this

school. I have received offers from

other community institutions, but I

understand God has a purpose for

me here in this place. I love my work

team and I love what I do.•

*COCREF is an assocation of Christian schools in the Dominican Republic, and a partner of Worldwide Christian Schools.

diffi cult

words and

transcribing

reports from

newspaper

articles in

between my

other school

activities.

My mom

also began

dedicating time to helping me with

my homework when she found out

from my teachers how diffi cult school

had really become for me. She

helped me become a better reader

and writer and she was not afraid

to correct me when she heard me

mispronounce words and get things

wrong.

Today, I give thanks to God and

honor to all the people who helped

me by giving up their free time when

I struggled. Thanks to their dedicated

effort and persistence, I passed my

grade and I’m happier because I

know how to read and write correctly.

I’m now receiving merits for my

schoolwork, and my story is an

example of the attitude,“Yes, you

can!”•

Give online at wwcs.org.

Fe Abreu Pérez

Elvis Registre Robert

I understand God

has a purpose for

me here in this

place. I love my

work team and I

love what I do.

setting or as a personal guide for

educators who want to improve their

abilities to reach and teach children

with disabilities, whether they are

physical, emotional, mental or

behavioral.

Following the opening section’s

biblical foundation on disabilities,

Roost gives interactive lessons on

identifying learning disorders that

appear in most classrooms. She

warns that teachers should not use

the book to diagnose disorders, but

lists common traits or clues typically

associated with certain disorders.

Identifying these traits can help

teachers design ways to relate to

children and help them become

more successful in the classroom.

In the fi nal section, Roost offers

simple teacher activities requiring

little or no resources which can

make a positive impact on a child’s

educational experience.

WWCS decided to produce this

manual in keeping with our mission

to focus on the educational needs

of children from marginalized

communities. Among the most

marginalized, regardless of

gender, race or economic status,

are children with disabilities.

Often misunderstood, set aside,

and even denied an education in

some countries, these children

are sometimes seen as having

no future, potential or purpose in

life. Unfortunately, many children

with disabilities buy these lies

themselves.

Roost refers to inclusive

education as a journey for us all.

“Inclusive education is the

process of addressing and

responding to the diverse needs

of all learners by reducing barriers

to, and within, the learning

environment,” she writes.

According to Roost, one

component of an inclusive classroom

is that it is a place where every child

is believed to have the potential

to learn, regardless of his or her

challenges. After listing a few more

traits of a classroom that is inclusive,

she asks, “How does the above

description differ from how your

community or your school handles

the education of children with

disabilities?”

Editing the book became an

encouraging resource for me both as

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Bringing Good News to All Children / www.wwcs.org

I n March of this year, Worldwide Christian Schools (WWCS)

launched a new fundraising model utilizing an online tool

called Bidding for Good, a site that facilitates online auctions for

non-profi t causes.

The initial “Just Learning” auction benefi ting WWCS was the

fi rst of a series of auctions – the second will be open online June

1 through 10, and the third will be a live auction event that is

set for October 1 at City Flats Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The October live auction will take place during Art Prize, Grand

Rapids’ biggest city-wide event of the year.

Vonda Wiltjer, WWCS auction organizer, secures donations

from both individuals and companies to supply the auctions.

“The potential impact of these auctions is being able to help

marginalized children attend school,” she said. “That message is

so big whenever I am talking to anyone about how we’re trying to

raise funds for our mission.” • Request an auction wish list or schedule

a pick-up for your donated auction items (if local) by contacting Vonda Wiltjer

at vwiltjer@wwcs.org. To view auction events or to bid on items during

auction dates, visit biddingforgood.com/worldwidechristianschools.

Bidding for Good

an educator and as the father of a

child with emotional disorders.

We recommend every school

administrator set aside time for

the entire staff, both teachers and

support personnel, to use “The

Inclusive Classroom” to better enfold

students with disabilities into their

care.

Because WWCS is committed

to this cause, “The Inclusive

Classroom” is downloadable free

of charge to any school, educator,

parent, or to anyone else interested

in this topic. The online book is

available at wwcs.org/resources.

Dale Dieleman, M.Ed.

Vice President, Worldwide Christian Schools

a 501(c)3 non-profi t, non-denominational organization

629 Ionia Ave. SW

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

(616) 531-9102 • (800) 886 -9000

www.wwcs.org

PRESIDENT

Scott Vander Kooy svanderkooy@wwcs.org

GRANTS FOR EDUCATION

Dale Dieleman ddieleman@wwcs.org

PARTNER ENGAGEMENT

Elise Giles egiles@wwcs.org

Amie Spriensma aspriensma@wwcs.org

COMMUNICATIONS

Emily Klooster eklooster@wwcs.org

DONOR SERVICES

Holly Aungst haungst@wwcs.org

Karen Hilverda khilverda@wwcs.orga division of Worldwide Christian Schools®

OUR MISSION

is to support innovative

educational initiatives

empowering children who are

marginalized to discover their

God-given potential.

Join the Worldwide Christian Schools® online commmunity! Look for us on

Bringing Good News to All Children

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®

Sunday School Raises $3500 in Lunch MoneyBy Amie Spriensma

EDITOR’S NOTE: Amie is Sponsorship

Coordinator for Worldwide Christian Schools

and attends Rusk Christian Reformed Church

in Allendale, MI. She says, “Rusk is crucial to

my ministry at this point in my life: I get my

rides from Rusk, my prayers from Rusk, and a

lot of my support from Rusk! I support them

in the formation of a Disability Awareness

Team, as an adult Bible teacher, and as a

representative for WWCS.”

Jaci LeFebre fi rst heard of

Worldwide Christian Schools’

(WWCS) coin drives while

reading a ministry brochure. As

a Sunday school teacher at Rusk

Christian Reformed Church (CRC),

she liked the idea of getting her

class involved in helping other school

children, so she decided to contact

us. WWCS provided her with over

60 “Lunch Money” coin cans to be

distributed at the beginning of the

Sunday school year.

People of every age and grade

level took the cans home from

church to begin collecting coins for

lunch programs at schools in need.

The appeal to help kids meet Jesus

and gain opportunities for life in

a Christ-centered school touched

everyone - not just children, but also

parents, grandparents, and other

family members.

LeFebre’s Sunday school kids

wanted to know stories about

children in other places who do not

have access to the things they often

take for granted. Week by week, with

help from adults in the congregation,

kids at Rusk have collected over

$3500 for lunch programs at WWCS

partner schools so far! An offering

taken at the end of the present

Sunday school season in a few

weeks could raise that total even

higher.

Josh Schrieber, Rusk’s Sunday

school director, points out that the

coin drive offerings are a blessing to

all those who participate.

“The Sunday School children are

happy to partner with Worldwide

Christian Schools in serving children

around the world,” he said. “WWCS

tells children of God’s saving

grace while empowering them with

education that will improve their

lives. This is something we all can

be happy about!”• Host your own Lunch

Money Coin Drive by contacting Amie at

aspriensma@wwcs.org or (616) 531-9102.

Rusk CRC’s preschool class with Lunch Money canisters

School lunch ingredients in India