April Blog

DETERMINATION!!!

At Elementary Chapel last Friday, under the leadership and spiritual coaching of their determined and dear teacher, Mrs. Nafziger, our terrific team of third graders shared their timely, heartfelt, and spirit- filled personal messages on determination and how it applies to their lives. They also "performed" a play highlighting key moments of determination in the life of Esther.

As we are headed into the homestretch of the 2016/17 school year, I pray that with the Lord as our focus and guide, together for His glory, we can end with the same level of determination and JOY that we began the year with way back (or maybe not so long ago) in August.

"We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized."

Hebrews 6:11

Achievement Tests

As you probably already know, achievement tests are scheduled each morning through lunch Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week. You can encourage and support your Jr. Cougars during this time by:

-Praying with and for them multiple times daily.

-Making sure they get a good night of sleep.

-Preparing a healthy and protein-packed breakfast each morning.

-Arriving on time or even a few minutes early for school.

-Packing a healthy snack.

Jr. COUGAR SPIRIT WEEK! 

Whoop! Whoop!

With the help of their teacher, Mrs. Sanchez, our spirited second grade Jr. Cougars had a vision and now have planned a Jr. Cougar Spirit Week to take place the week of 5/1 (Monday). It will wrap up on Friday, 5/5, with our Race for Education. Please help your Jr. Cougar participate and ROAR with CCS spirit and JOY in the Lord throughout this week by dressing up their bodies as we stretch their hearts and minds for our special spirit-filled days!

Jr. Cougar Lacrosse Fun!

Jr. Cougar Night with the Lacrosse Team

All Jr. Cougars are invited to attend Jr. Cougar Night at the girls high school varsity lacrosse game on Monday, May 8, at 4 pm. All Jr. Cougars who wear Cougar gear will be admitted into the game for FREE and be treated to FREE popcorn while watching the game. Then to make the night even more special, at halftime Jr. Cougars can take the field with high school lacrosse team members to participate in fielding ground balls and shooting goals. Mark your calendars and plan to score a fun time together! Whoop! Whoop!

Thank you for allowing CCS to partner with the Lord and you

to share this part of your child's journey

in growing spiritually, academically, socially, emotionally, and physically.

GO Jr. COUGARS! Whoop! Whoop!

HAPPY SPRING!

As I searched my heart and God's Word for thoughts of spring, I came across this picture, and JOY came over me! For many years past, little vases of dandelions graced my desk at school and my counters at home throughout spring and into summer. (I secretly hope this continues in the present and future years too.:) These sweet gifts from God's precious little ones are reminders of the plan He has for everything, His love, and the gift of new life I/we have in and because of Him. During this season of new growth and as these bright, yellow blossoms begin to grace your plush, green lawn, I pray that you are reminded of the JOYs and beauty that can be found even in the things that appear to be meant to challenge, stretch, and grow us.  

Report Cards are coming home with your Jr. Cougars today. Please sign the envelope and return the reading/math insert to your child's teacher by this Thursday, 3/23/17.

Dismissal Procedures

Below is just a friendly reminder from our Parent and Student Handbook if you are changing your Jr. Cougar's pick up procedures:

A student is to bring a note from home if he/she is to go home by any means other than his/her regular transportation. If no note is received, the student will be sent home by his/her regular means of transportation.  (For the safety of our children, texts will not be accepted as a substitute for a note.)

Moms in Prayer will meet at Julie Allan's home, 94 Overlook Rd, Morgantown, on the following dates: March 31, April 28, May 18, and June 2.

If you have any questions, please contact Julie Allan. Her email address is: tedandjulie02@gmail.com. 

We are sailing through this year, and Grandparents Day is floating in our direction. Our school-wide celebration of these special and important family members is on Friday, April 7 which will be here before we know it. It’s not too early to sign up to help on this special day. If you can volunteer your time or donate food or drink items, please sign up at these links:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c45acad2faa8-2017

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c45acad2faa8-20171

Going Home with Grandpa and Grandma!

If you are planning to allow your Jr. Cougar to be dismissed on Grandparents Day at noon with his/her grandparents, please submit your completed Preplanned Absence Form by Wednesday, 4/5/17. Here is the link to that form:

https://media.wix.com/ugd/2bdfd2_63b80678e80b459db67628af8329b891.pdf

Thank you for allowing CCS to partner with the Lord and you

to share this part of your child's journey

in growing spiritually, academically, socially, emotionally, and physically.

GO Jr. COUGARS!

Whoop! Whoop!

Jr. Cougars + Singing Praises + God’s Word + Encouragement = Elementary Chapel JOY

With the help and creativity of our fabulous fourth graders, the music leadership of Mrs. Stone, the book How Full Is Your Bucket, and of course God’s Word, as well as reflecting on what we learned from the NED Show, last Friday’s chapel was filled with encouragement, growth opportunities, and of course fun, cheering, laughter, and JOY!

“Do good deeds to make a drop!

Fill their buckets to the top.”

(A cheer written for our chapel by our fabulous fourth graders.)

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.”      

Phillippians 2:1-2

(A verse shared in our chapel by our fabulous fourth graders.)

School Calendar Change!

On Monday, 2/13/17, the faculty and staff of our school will be having an In-Service Day; therefore, our Jr. Cougars will NOT have school on that day. This date was not on our original school calendar. It is a change to the calendar.

Save This Night

And You’ll Be Filled With Delight!

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017

Jr. Cougar “Night of Delight” Open House

6:15 - 7:00 pm

Jr. Cougar “Night of Delight” Concert

7:00 pm

Jr. Cougar Art Club Coming Soon!

Mrs. Erica DeHart, an artist/painter, professional baker/cake decorator, and CCS mom, is offering a special Jr. Cougars Art Club. During the first two sessions, Jr. Cougars in grades 2-5 will try their hands and talents at painting a masterpiece of their own. During session three they will together create a masterpiece that we will proudly hang and display in our Jr. Cougar Cafe. Sessions are scheduled to meet on three Mondays in February and March, beginning Monday, 2/6, from 2:45 - 4:15 pm in the Jr. Cougar Cafe/elementary lunchroom. The remaining dates are 2/27 and 3/6. There will be a materials fee for this club which will soon follow once all the materials have been ordered. (I anticipate the cost being somewhere between $10 and $20.) Mrs. DeHart is generously volunteering her expertise and time! If your Jr. Cougar is interested in participating in this creative and fun club, just email me at susan.brenner@conestogachristian.net to register by Wednesday, 2/1/17, and then send in the materials fee by the first session on 2/6/17.  

Jr. Cougars Can Try a New Sport

Under the coaching of Mr. Parris and our varsity basketball teams, our Jr. Cougars 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade boys and girls can have a ball of a time learning and practicing the finer points of basketball at a Basketball Clinic being planned for this coming Monday, January 30, from 3:00 - 4:00 pm in the CCS gym. After participating in the clinic, our Jr. Cougar 4th and 5th grade athletes will then have the chance at a basketball scrimmage during halftime of the varsity girls basketball game on Friday night, February 3, beginning at 6:00 pm.

Jr. Cougars in 1st and 2nd graders are invited to attend the Friday night games and participate in a basketball shoot out also happening at halftime during the girls varsity basketball game. Whoop! Whoop! The cost of the clinic is $10. This cost includes a Jr. Cougars t-shirt.

UPDATE:

Please let Mrs. Brenner know by this Thursday, 1/26/17, if your third, fourth, or fifth grade Jr. Cougar would like to sign up for the Jr. Cougar Basketball Clinic. Also, please let me know your child’s YOUTH t-shirt size. (The choices are small, medium, large, and extra-large.)

Payment is due by Monday, 1/30/17.

If your child is in grade 1 or 2 and you would like to order a t-shirt for him/her, please email Mrs. Brenner by this Thursday, 1/26/17. Also, please let me know your child’s YOUTH t-shirt size. (The choices are small, medium, large, and extra-large.) The cost of each t-shirt is $8.00. Payment is due by Monday, 1/30/17.

Open House Season Is On Our Doorstep!

Invite friends and family with school-age children to come and see why...

“There’s no place like CCS.”

Dates for Preschool – High School

Wednesday, February 15: 8:15 am - 9:30 am

Wednesday, March 1: 8:15 am - 9:30 am

Thursday, May 4: evening open house from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Date for Middle School and High School

Wednesday, March 29: 8:15 am - 9:30 am

Date for Preschool and Elementary

Friday, April 21: 8:15 am - 9:30 am

You are our best advertisement! Open House business cards are available for you to use. You can get them from the table in front of the office. Information is also available on our website. Email Michelle Parris at michelle.parris@conestogachristian.net if you have any questions.

Little Conestoga Preschool Story Times Are A Few Steps Away!

We think "there's no place like CCS" (and Little Conestoga Preschool too!), and we are excited to share it with you! So invite your neighbors, friends, and family members who have preschool-age children to "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" to our preschool story times! The dates are February 15 (Loving Others), March 15 (Having Courage), April 19 (Growing Wise), and May 10 (Being Me Is Special) from 9:45 -10:30 am.

Thank you for allowing CCS to partner with the Lord and you

to share this part of your child's journey

in growing spiritually, academically, socially, emotionally, and physically.

GO Jr. COUGARS!

Whoop! Whoop!

Save This Night

And You’ll Be Filled With Delight!

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017

Jr. Cougar “Night of Delight” Open House

6:15-7:00 pm

Jr. Cougar “Night of Delight” Concert

7 pm

The New Year is a great time for a FREE Trial Week

in Preschool or Kindergarten!

You might be wondering how do FREE trial and Preschool and Kindergarten go together? Here’s how we think they go together. Your child has been learning and growing so much already this school year, and the new calendar year is often a time when we decide to try new things. We thought this might be an awesome opportunity for you to allow your child to “try on” a new, slightly bigger schedule for one week to accommodate his/her steadily growing body, brain, heart, and spirit in the current Preschool or Kindergarten class for FREE! In order to help you consider the possibility of upgrading your child’s current enrollment plan, CCS is offering a free trial week during the week of January 17, 2017. So whether it’s “testing out” the Preschool enrichment program or upgrading your child’s Kindergarten schedule from half-day to flex-day or flex-day to full-day, you and your child can give it a try for one full week for FREE with no strings attached! If it’s a “good fit” for your little one, you can continue your child’s new schedule the first week of February. At that time, Mr. Detwiler, our Business Manager, will then adjust your current tuition for the remainder of the school year to reflect the new “good fit” size for your growing little one! Please contact me by Thursday, January 12, by either emailing or calling me if you have any questions or you want to arrange for your child to “try on" the FREE trial week.

Jr. Cougars Spanish Club Starting This Wednesday!

Hola! Mrs. Nafziger is excited to share that she will be leading a Jr. Cougars Spanish Club on Wednesdays after school. Whoop! Whoop! The club is set to begin on Wednesday, January 11, and run for the months of January through April. It will include songs, snacks, games, stories, and technology that will grow a student's understanding of the Spanish language and culture.

The club will meet from 2:45 - 3:30 pm on the first, second, and third Wednesdays of the month. In April there will only be two meetings because of Easter break on April 12. There will be a field trip to Mrs. Nafziger's farm in April during one of the meetings, so on that day the time will be longer. The farm trip will probably be on April 19, which will be the last meeting. (More information will be shared as the date approaches.) The cost for the Jr. Cougars Spanish Club is $20 per student.

Please contact Mrs. Brenner by Tuesday, January 10, if your Jr. Cougar is interested in participating in the Jr. Cougar Spanish Club!

The Time Is Now...

to register for the the next sessions of Science Explorers!!!  The link to register online is:

https://scienceexplorers.com/registration/?z=19543&r=10&s=18&t=

The topics and session dates are:

Kitchen Chemistry

1/26; 2/2; 2/9; 2/16; 2/23

3-2-1 Blast Off!

3/16; 3/23; 3/30; 4/6; 4/20

Jr. Cougars Can Try a New Sport

Under the coaching of Mr. Parris and our varsity basketball teams, our Jr. Cougars 4th and 5th grade boys and girls can have a ball of a time learning and practicing the finer points of basketball at a Basketball Clinic being planned for Monday, January 30, from 3:00 - 4:00 pm in the CCS gym. After participating in the clinic, our Jr. Cougar 4th and 5th grade athletes will then have a basketball scrimmage during halftime of the varsity girls basketball game on Friday night, February 3, beginning at 6:00 pm.

Jr. Cougars in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades are invited to attend the February 3 games and participate in a basketball shoot-out also happening at half time during the girls varsity basketball game. Whoop! Whoop! The cost of the clinic is $10. This cost includes a Jr. Cougars t-shirt. If your Jr. Cougar would like to participate in the Basketball Clinic on 1/30/17, please contact Mrs. Brenner by Wednesday, 1/25/17.

STAY TUNED FOR INFORMATION COMING ABOUT the Jr. Cougars Art Club starting in February!

Thank you for allowing CCS to partner with the Lord and you

to share this part of your child's journey

in growing spiritually, academically, socially, emotionally, and physically.

GO Jr. COUGARS!

Whoop! Whoop!

“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."    

Luke 2:10-11

The Visit of the Wise Men

Matthew 2

7"Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, 'Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.' 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.”

For as many times as I have heard and read the account of the events that surrounded the birth of our Savior, this year the passage about the Wise Men diligently searching for Jesus caused me to pause and be still with their journey to our newborn King. While they were ordered by and obeyed King Herod to go and look for the child, the Wise Men knew, because of their dream, that God had a plan, so they followed the star in”blind” faith and trust and searched for the child. Upon finding Jesus they fell down and worshiped Him and then offered their gifts and treasures.

The events of this story parallel what a kindergarten student shared with me this morning when I went into her classroom to read a Christmas story. She said that the other night she prayed and asked Jesus to be her Savior. She followed heart and the light of Jesus in “blind” faith and trust much like the Wise Men did. Just like the Wise Men she gave Jesus a treasured gift; her heart. This little girl shared this precious moment with me with JOY that can only come from Jesus, and that JOY was/is definitely contagious! ;) Different from the Wise Men for us now though, we don’t have to search, because Jesus is always right there/here with us.  

Wishing you a

Merry, “Blind,” and Wise Christmas

filled with Jesus JOY!

Jr. Cougars Spanish Club Coming Soon!

Hola! Mrs. Nafziger will be leading a Jr. Cougars Spanish Club on Wednesdays once we return from Christmas break. Whoop! Whoop!  It will begin on Wednesday, January 11, and run for the months of January through April.  It will include songs, snack, games, stories, and technology that will grow a student's understanding of the Spanish language and culture. 

The club will meet from 2:45 - 3:30 pm on the first, second, and third Wednesdays of the month. (With the exception of January and April.) The club is beginning on the second Wednesday of January, and in April there will only be two meetings because of Easter break on April 12.  There will be a field trip to Mrs. Nafziger's farm in April during one of the meetings, so on that day the time will be longer.  The farm trip will probably be on April 19, which will be the last meeting. (More information will be shared as the date approaches.)   The cost for the Jr. Cougars Spanish Club is $20 per student.

Please contact Mrs. Brenner if your Jr. Cougar is interested in participating in the Jr. Cougar Spanish Club!